We All Fall Down: The Fortieth Hunger Games
by LadyCordeliaStuart
Summary: Teaser: the title isn't just the Tributes.
1. Long Live the Queen

_**The Panem Gazette**_

BREAKING NEWS: GALBA DEAD

Panem's great leader, Luperca Galba, has been assassinated. While exiting her house on her way to peace talks, a single sniper's bullet struck Galba in the head, killing her instantly. The killer, an anti-Capitolist zealot, evaded capture by committing suicide. Peacekeeper forces are still investigating and searching for the assassin's allies, as well as reassuring the people and quelling panicked riots. Rumors that the assassination were an inside job tore through the Capitol, fracturing parties and shedding suspicion on everyone in the city. After much debate and negotiation, Senator Coriolanus Snow has stepped up to lead our nation through this crisis. While we deeply mourn the loss of our beloved Galba, we are confident Snow will fill the massive hole she left behind and lead Panem into a glorious new future.

Anyone possessing information pertaining to the assassin's identity or connections is encouraged to come forward and claim a generous reward.

 _Panem Excelsior Perpetuum_

* * *

 ** _The Capitol Tattler_**

 _Intrigue in the Capitol! What happened to our escorts?_

Rumors are flying through the Capitol after the mysterious disappearance of nearly half a dozen of Panem's twelve Hunger Games escorts. Ijolite Bust, Ambrosia Poppet, Mariposa Aglet, and Remus Colander have vanished without a trace. While the other mentors gather in the Capitol to discuss the upcoming Games, we were unable to coax any of them into commenting on the strange happenings. One Capitol insider, who prefers to remain anonymous, informed us exclusively that the missing escorts were kidnapped by anti-Capitol forces. Of course, we all hope the true answer is something less dreadful! Perhaps a saucy affair or a romantic disagreement? Reporters at the Tattler are diligently searching for more information. When we find it, you'll be the first to know.

 _Story by roving Capitol reporter Felicia Trice_

* * *

 **A lot has happened in between the Games, it seems. This had to happen eventually, since President Snow had to rise to power. I liked writing Galba so I'm sorry to see her go, but that's really the only way out for a president of Panem. Even if she'd retired, someone still would have whacked her. The change won't affect the stories much. Really the biggest difference will be that Galba let the Games run themselves and Snow interacts more if someone really makes him mad.**

 **I shortened what would realistically be two stories into one for the assassination piece. Obviously if it's breaking news, Snow wouldn't have had time to gain power yet. It would take at least weeks to sort all that out.**

 **Now that you've read the propaganda pieces in the papers, here's what really happened: First, Galba was assassinated by a conventional political malcontent. He wasn't with the rebels, who would have done something more productive than killing the president, who would only get replaced. There were massive cullings and pogroms among the Capitol politicians and Snow wasn't selected so much as he seized power by most effectively killing his enemies.**

 **As for the stylists:**

 **Snow forced Ijolite into retirement because he didn't like someone her age wearing such revealing clothing. Basically he just didn't like her.**

 **Ambrosia Poppet was suspected of rebellious sympathies and Avoxed. She now works in some high-ranking politician's house. She was not a rebel.**

 **Mariposa Aglet was suspected of rebellious sympathies and Avoxed, just like Ambrosia. She was a rebel.**

 **Remus Colander was accused of rebellion and Avoxed. I say "accused" and not "suspected" because it was a trumped-up charge brought about because Snow didn't like his oafish personality and his chubby appearance.**

 **Demi Bottle is highly suspected of rebellious activity and is under constant surveillance. She has so far managed to evade arrest and is watching her step very carefully.**

 **Philomena Puff was too ditzy to be suspected of rebellion. She really is that ditzy- it's not an act.**

 **Bubbles Anglaise just minds her own business and enjoys her work. She did nothing to warrant suspicion.**

 **Gaudius Spark is too dumb to be an effective rebel. If he ever does rebel they'll just feed him false information.**

 **Otho Tome is also too dumb and sheltered to rebel.**

 **Chimera Ilium is too young and idealistic to go against the Capitol.**

 **Fluvius spends most of his time watching out for Cornflower. He is too preoccupied to rebel.**

 **Snapdragon Tinsel is too shallow to rebel.**

* * *

 **Next chapter will include the Tribute list and forms.**


	2. One Reaping

**Here's the REAL pair from one.**

* * *

Hiyas Tonto POV

The first day of school was a perfect chance to see which of the girls was worth my attention. They were all dressed up in their finest and on their best behavior. It was like picking them out of a lineup.

"Here, let me get that for you," I said as I held open the door for a pretty student with an armful of books. She smiled shyly and slipped through the door, giving me a perfect view of her behind as I stood in the doorway. It was good to be chivalrous.

I took a seat in the second row when I got to my first classroom. Sitting in the second row made me look like an attentive student but not a brown-noser. All the preppiest girls would sit in the front, and most of them weren't worth looking at, so I wasn't missing anything sitting behind them. My old friend Extravagance took the seat beside me.

"Back to the old grind, huh? We still on to hang out after they're finally done?" he asked. He'd been a fun friend, but we had a problem. He wasn't exactly the most attractive boy. Even I could tell, and I only had eyes for the girls. I could tell he was going to drag me down.

"I don't know. I'm going to be pretty busy now. You know, homework and stuff," I said.

"Oh, okay. Some other time then," he said. _Never, then,_ I thought. I was on to bigger and better things.

I found my primary target when Organza White walked into the room. I hadn't seen her since last year, and she'd filled out over the summer. She hardly fit inside her uniform, in all the right ways. A girl like that deserved someone special, like me.

"Can I carry those for you?" I asked when I caught up to her on the way home from school. "A little lady like you shouldn't have to do stuff like that." She giggled and blushed as I took her books. I knew I looked great from my training at the Academy, and just being a Career made all the girls swoon. I could have had anyone, and she knew it.

"I won't make your boyfriend jealous, will I?" I asked.

"Oh no, I've never had a boyfriend," she said, which was exactly what I'd been hoping for. A Career's life expectancy wasn't exactly amazing, even though I was going to be the exception. I had a lot of wild oats to sow and not much time. Surely another girl would come along before long, but long after I'd left, Organza was going to be able to tell people she used to be Hiyas Tonto's girl.

* * *

Karyssa Evans POV

 _No one from the Academy better see this._ Ten minutes ago I was big, scary Karyssa Evans, the toughest girl in the year three Academy class. Now, I was Karyssa Evans, the girl squealing and squatting on her knees beside the cutest little kitten she saw in the road.

"Oh hai, _baby!_ Aren't you the cutest thing?" I asked the black and white kitten. She mewed at me and stuck her adorable stubby little tail into the air. I picked her up and hugged her to my chest. She purred so hard her tiny body vibrated against me.

"Are you all alone?" I asked her. She wasn't wearing a collar, and I didn't see a momma cat anywhere. I gently squeezed one paw and saw she wasn't declawed. She must have been a stray, or worse, abandoned. Why would anyone abandon a kitten? Obviously I had to take her home.

Mom wasn't surprised when I walked in holding a kitten. I'd dragged in dozens of animals over the years. There wasn't that much wildlife in One, but I managed to find anything that was there. There was the baby pigeon that died even after I fed it every worm I found. One time it was a frog. Bucephalus was a very cool frog and died of ripe old age. I even caught a mouse once. It didn't like me very much. I held up the kitten and Mom took it.

"What's this?" she asked as she turned the kitten around to look at it from all angles.

"It's a _kitten,"_ I said. "Can I keep it?"

She gave me the kitten back. "Oh, ask your mother."

" _Mooooooooom,"_ I said. She thinks that's _so_ funny. Every time I ask her something, it's always "ask your mother". If one of my moms wasn't more serious, nothing would ever get done around here.

"Who, me?" my other mom asked as she poked her head in from the living room.

"Your daughter wants a cat," the funny mom said.

"Does she want to feed it every day?" the serious mom asked.

"Yes!" I said.

"Does she want to empty its litter box every night?"

"Yes!"

"Does she want to clean up when it throws up on the carpet?"

" _Yes!"_

"All right. The house is already a zoo anyway," she said.

"Yay!" I cheered. I twirled around with the kitten and set her down. She lurched around like she was drunk, and her tail swung in circles.

"Your name is Misa now," I told the cat. "Come on, I'll show you our room."


	3. Two Reaping

**I'm finally back from my sister's house and from work, and a long overdue chapter is finally here.**

* * *

Valerie Lenn POV

There was a charge in the air at the Reaping. Our escort, Philomena, was still there, but everyone seemed nervous. It was the first Games since Snow became our new president, and everyone was on edge. The Peacekeepers at the front of the Reaping tent frisked me for weapons as they took my blood, like I was itching for a repeat of what happened to Galba. I might do some pretty crazy things, but I wasn't about to do anything like that. First of all, I'd die. Second of all, I wouldn't be able to volunteer for the Games. I wasn't sure which was worse.

Philomena was wearing the latest in Capitol chic: a bulletproof vest and a helmet. She nudged the bowl with one outstretched arm before she stepped closer, like it was rigged to explode. She fidgeted throughout the Anthem and the video, which dragged on for longer than usual.

"Hello, District One!" Philomena said when the video was finally over. "I hope everyone's ready for another great year of Hunger Games! I'm sure this will be the greatest one yet, and I'm sure we're all very excited about our wonderful new leader, President Snow!" There was an outpouring of unenthusiastic applause. Outside of Two, no one really cared who the president was. So long as he carried on with the Games, it didn't matter.

"I'll start with the ladies today," Philomena said. "Glitter Dyea!" A girl with pink hair and a multicolored dress walked onstage beside her. She picked at her nails and tapped her foot.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Philomena asked. Glitter looked up disinterestedly.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I yelled. Glitter hopped off the stage and I took her place. Philomena stepped aside like I was going to bite her. Silly woman. If I wanted to kill her, I could. The Peacekeepers would be all over me, but I could get her before they took me down. She asked me my name, and I told the crowd.

"What a brave young woman. And now for the boys! Let's have a big hand for Ombre Evans!" Philomena called. The boy stood beside Glitter, glancing nervously at the Peacekeepers watching them hawkishly.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Philomena asked again.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" Hiyas Tonto announced. It was no surprise to anyone in the Academy. He was the chosen volunteer. It was all a matter of routine.

"What a courageous pair of citizens," Philomena said. "Let's hear it for Valerie Lenn and Hiyas Tonto!"

I waved at my brother in the crowd as everyone cheered. Jason thought I was super cool, even if he pretended he didn't. We fought together all the time, and he was aiming to be One's volunteer as soon as possible. If he could have convinced the Academy to pick him, he'd have been going into the Arena with me even though he was only thirteen. Sometimes I worried about him. He was almost as reckless as I was.

* * *

Theo Kasius POV

There were a lot of goodbyes before I even volunteered. I'd already seen my best friend Crimson. We weren't supposed to have to say goodbye. She was supposed to be going with me, but something terrible happened. The trainers said we shouldn't rely just on fighting to win the Games, so we tried to learn some other things too. Crimson and I were up on the ropes course, which apparently wasn't a high priority for the Academy. One of the ropes broke and Crimson fell twenty feet to the ground, smashing both her legs. In Two, it's survival of the fittest, and our hospitals are a joke. Crimson refused to give up, but the braces on her legs as she limps along make it clear she's never going into the Arena. I'd never tell her, but I'm glad it happened. She's the only person in the world I couldn't stand to see die.

There was someone else I didn't want to say godbye to, either. Suki wasn't a person, but she was the best dog in the world. I got her when she was a scared little street puppy, as a reward for being the Academy's Most Promising Student of the Month. Now she was a gray old dog who couldn't run quite so fast or jump so far as she used to, but she loved just as hard.

She knew something was up as soon as I got out of bed. Whether it was the purpose in my actions or the excitement in my heart, she wouldn't leave me side. She got underfoot as I tried to get dressed, and I almost tripped over her going down the stairs. She yipped and nosed my leg as I ate breakfast. After I put my shoes on, I stopped to address her. I knelt down and petted her head. She shoved her nose past my hand and put both paws on my chest like she could hold me in place.

"It's okay, girl. I'll be back. We'll have to move then, but you'll like our new house. It will have a big yard so you can run around. No more city house for us," I said. I knew I could win. Valerie was good, but she didn't have that extra Victor factor. The kids from One were always spoiled, and everyone else was too busy running to stand and fight. I didn't have to be overconfident. I was good enough to just be confident.

I stood up to open the door and Suki scuttled in front of it, whimpering. I hated to see her so sad, but she'd be okay when I got back. I just hoped she didn't miss me too much. I shooed her away and opened the door. I slipped out and shut the door behind me as she tried to stick her nose into it. As I walked away, I heard her scratching at the door and barking. After all my friends and all my family, that was still the hardest part about saying goodbye.


	4. Three Reaping

**At long last, the Three Reaping! Also, the Eight male is open because his submitter is really busy right now and she wants us to be able to go forward.**

* * *

Electra Magnato POV

 _I twisted a wire, closing the circuit. The boy next to me attached a wire to a battery and sparks flew from the mechanism on our desk. Students around us screamed and shileded their heads as the school pitched into darkness._

 _"_ _You_ what?" _My mother asked when I got home._

 _"_ _We messed up. The teacher failed us," I mumbled. I flinched as my mother flew into action._

 _"_ _I knew you'd fail. I just hoped maybe you'd surprise me for once. We never should have brought you into this world. You're a disgrace to the Magnato name," she said._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Mom. Please, I'll just go to my room and I won't be any more trouble," I said. I drew into myself and backed away. I felt the familiar fear and panic as my mother's face grew red._

 _"_ _You'll do no such thing, you worthless brat. You're obviously too stupid to learn, but maybe even you can understand this," she said. She picked up the rolling pin on the counter beside her, and I held up my arms to shield my face._

She broke my arm that day. It was nothing new, and it wasn't the last time she hurt me. She always seemed happier on Reaping Day. I knew she was hoping I'd get picked. And honestly, when Bubbles came out, I was more worried for my little sister Synthi than for myself. Synthi was the favored child, and I worked hard to ensure it. I didn't want her to ever go through what I did. It was bad enough she had to see it.

Bubbles reaped Siri Anil, a girl I'd seen in school but didn't really know. She was screaming and crying, but I was jealous of her. It wasn't easy being me, even considering how hard everyone had it in Panem. This Reaping was my outlet from them and their control over me. Dying in the Arena was a better choice than living under them.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Bubbles asked. The fire I'd always had to shove down before came scorching out.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I walked to the stage and glared out at my parents. Even if they'd wanted me gone, they were still shocked at my boldness.

I told the Peacekeepers I didn't want to see my parents. Synthi came in by herself. She ran across the room and threw herself at me, already weeping.

"It's all right You'll be okay without me," I said. It was hard to tell which was more stressful for her- watching what my parents did to me or watching me in the Arena. Synthi gave me a copper tube.

"Do what you do best," she said, and then it was time for her to go.

 _What I do best._ Messing things up? Dishonoring my family name?

 _No._ What I did best was surviving.

* * *

Demarcus DeMarcos POV

Back forever ago, people used to attack people like me because of our skin. Now they just attacked me because I was different. I didn't look like the others, so I was the one to pick on. Early on I took my licks and tried to stay out of their way. When I realized there was no "out of their way", and that they'd follow me wherever I went, I had to start fighting back.

I learned a lot of things about people when I started to defend myself. I learned a lot more people want to start a fight than finish one. They were more than happy to badger me and snipe at me until I had to return fire. They imagined themselves facing off against me in an old-fashioned bareknuckled boxing match and swapping punches until I went down. They didn't understand that a fight ended when one party couldn't walk anymore, permanently or otherwise. It wasn't a pretty duel with flourishing swords and graceful blows. It was gouged eyes and knees bent sideways until they snapped. I'd felt the joints crunch in my mouth as I bit a boy's finger off. I didn't start a fight unless I was willing to destroy someone.

I hated the way they looked at me after I started fighting back. I went from the whipping boy to the boogeyman. They didn't taunt me as much, unless a new kid was spoiling to make a name for himself. They scattered before me when I came near. Mothers pulled their children closer when I went past. I couldn't so much as call a greeting to a passing boy without him flinching. I didn't want it to be like that. I never wanted to fight at all. If they'd ever once tried to be friends with me, none of this would have happened. If they asked now, I'd forget all that happened for a chance at friendship.

When I got Reaped, I was too jaded to care. My life expectancy was short anyway. Sooner or later too many of them would have come for me, or a hotshot upstart would get in the blow that hit me just wrong and knocked my brain too hard against my skull. At least the Capitol was something else. The children there wouldn't know me. I didn't look scary when people first saw me. I was tall and more muscular than most people in Three, but I wasn't a hulk.

This was a new start for me. If I died, I was no worse off than I would have been. If I lived for a while, I might make my first friend before I died. If I won, I could move to the Victor's Village, far away from everyone who tormented me. I'd be neighbors with Beetee. He was way smarter than me, but he looked like me, so he wouldn't hound me. It was the high point of all the Games I'd ever seen when he won. I was cheering for him from the start. I hoped he'd be cheering for me.


	5. Four Reaping

**Unless I missed the form, I'm still waiting on the Three male, so here's Four.**

* * *

Angelo Tempest POV

Everything hurt, even the soles of my feet. I should have expected it from the Academy. Even the best pupils lost sometimes, and somehow it never made them think about what would happen if it had been real. I wasn't the best, and it was harder for me to ignore thoughts like that. I joined the Academy partially so I could be strong enough to fight off the bullies. Instead I traded them for stronger ones, and the originals didn't leave me alone anyway.

It was only appropriate that I lived above an apothecary, since I got myself busted up every other day. I knew more about mecidine than made any sense for a hopeful Career. With my fighting ability, it would come in handy, even if the others teased me about it. I opened the door and tiptoed inside, only relaxing when I saw my father working on some medications and knew it was useless to keep quiet. He turned at the noise and saw what had happened to me.

"Oh my god, who did this? Are you all right?" he asked as he rushed over and started examining my wounds. I tried to back away and slip past him, but he wouldn't let me. Even if he hadn't been my father, he would still be a doctor. He opened a drawer and pulled out a roll of bandages.

"It's nothing. Just roughhousing at the Academy. No pain, no gain," I said. I opened a cabinet full of pill bottles and took one out. I'd taken so many painkillers in the recent past that I recognized the bottle. I opened it and shook three of the tiny pills into my hand. I put the bottle back and was about to take the pills when my father, who had just cut off a length of bandage, looked up and leaped across the room at me, knocking me sideways into the counter.

" _Don't!"_ he yelled, and he grabbed my hand.

"What? It's just three," I said. I opened my hand to show him. He took out the bottle and pointed at the label.

"That's epinephrine. It'll kill you in ten minutes," he said. I dropped the pills and yanked my hand back.

"Why the heck do you keep it with the medicines?" I asked.

"It _is_ a medicine. In cardiac arrest, it stimulates the heart and restores its pulse. You take three of those with a healthy heart and it'll shoot your blood pressure fatally high," he said.

"That's... kind of cool," I said. Now that my brush with death was over, I was intrigued by the thought of medicine being both lifesaving and deadly. "Do we have any other medicines like that?"

"That's a weird thing for a doctor's son to ask," my father said. "You planning to kill someone?"

 _Maybe someday,_ I thought. Not the bullies- that would be satisfying, but it was more than I was ready to do. But someday, in the Arena, it would be all that kept me alive. The others would think I was a healer, not a killer. They didn't know I'd be both.

* * *

Careen Ellis POV

I was going to miss Four. It was the prettiest part of Panem. I loved how the ocean and the sky were two complementing shades of blue, and how the sky was still as the ocean moved. There was nothing prettier in the world than a Four sunset. The sky flowed into a rainbow and the colors reflected off the water beneath it. The Capitol didn't have anything like that.

I looked forward to sharing my last morning at home with Aiden. I met him when my boat broke down and he picked me up as I was swimming back to shore. We'd been together ever since. We met before the sun rose for a pre-volunteering swim and whatever else happened after. My twin sister Coral came along, and we splashed in the cool water as we waited for Aiden. We were just starting to wonder when he was coming when he burst from the water behind us.

"Surprise!" he said.

"How far did you have to swim underwater to sneak up like that?" Coral teased.

"Across the ocean. I came all the way from the other side," he said.

"What's it like over there?" I asked.

"Boring," he said. "But not as boring as it will be without you."

"I'll be back soon," I said. It wasn't like they had to be scared.

"You'd better be. I know you'll do great, but I'll still worry. So win as fast as you can," Coral said.

"Maybe I'll set the record," I said.

"It always has to be a challenge for you. Isn't it enough to beat everyone else in Panem?" Aiden asked.

"Good enough is okay, but better is... better," I said. Every few years, our chosen volunteer backed out, but that was never an option for me. I loved a challenge, whether it was diving twenty feet to retrieve a fallen fishing rod or eating more shrimp than my sister.

"You'll be so bored after this. There will be no challenges left," Aiden said.

"Maybe they'll let me volunteer twice," I said. "Like the Resurrection Games."

"This is so cheesy," Coral said after a lull in the conversation, "but we're really proud of you. No matter what."

"'We're so proud of Careen. She died in the Bloodbath'," I joked. "But don't worry. That definitely won't happen."

"Of course it won't. You're coming back. Who would I prowl the seas with at two in the morning if you don't?" Aiden said.

The sun was starting to come up, and we waded into the shallows to watch it from shore.

"Look at that," I said, and I pointed. A tall, thin triangle sliced through the water ten feet past where we'd just been swimming. It was a thresher shark, and I hoped it would jump for us. I'd seen them leap ten feet into the air for no reason, and it always thrilled me.

"Okay then, good thing we're not there anymore," Aiden said. Coral sprinted the last few steps through the knee-high water. Sharks could go in much shallower water than many careless people ever expected.

The sunrise was even prettier with the shark stirring up the water. Maybe I wouldn't volunteer twice after all. I wasn't sure I wanted to leave again.


	6. Five Reaping

**There are some continuity errors in the first two Districts because I was so impatient to get these Reapings out that I didn't correct my errors from the Valerie mixup.**

* * *

Quiola Cassidy POV

"What do you guys think?"

We were all excited to see our new escort. The word was that Ambrosia had been secretly working against the Capitol for years, which was really stupid, since there was hardly anyone for her to help. Our new escort was a Hispanic woman who barely seemed older than I was. She was draped in Panem's flag and gave our nation's salute as she walked onstage.

"H-hello everyone! I'm very excited to meet you! I'm Aurelia Plush, and I'm your new escort! I hope you're as excited as I am," she tittered.

"I don't like her," I said. I didn't have to know her. I could already tell. The others weren't listening anyway. I was just making conversation because we were all so scared. The truth was, I was just as scared as they were.

"Is it okay if I do the girls first?" Aurelia asked. No one spoke up, of course, and she laughed. "Oh, of course it is! I'm the escort!" She fished in the bowl and her microphone picked up the sound of her nails clinking on the glass.

"Quiola Cassidy!" she called. I should have been scared, but instead I was just mad. I wanted to run up there and slap the ditz, but it wasn't her fault. The Capitol said this was our fault, but they weren't fooling anyone. They were the maniacs killing children. I didn't look at Aurelia as I walked to the stage. When the male Tribute, Kerry, joined me, he didn't look either. He was looking up and out, like he could climb away. I could see he was already thinking of strategies, and I could tell Five had a fighting chance this year.

It was a full room at the Justice Hall. My parents were there, of course, and my sister Emiljia. My best friends Trish and Lane, who were next to me at the Reaping, were there too. I had to deal with them one at a time.

"I love you," my mother said through tears as she hugged me. I wanted to be brave in front of everyone, but I cried as much as she did. She handed me a notebook with a pen attached by a ribbon.

"You have so many things to say. Don't let them disappear," she said. Her face crumpled and she ran out of the room. My father watched her go with something like contempt.

"Forget that. Focus on living, not that you have much chance," he said. That did it. I'd heard similar things from him a million times, and I'd never been able to figure out what his problem was.

"What is wrong with you? I could _die_ and all you do is insult me! Get out of here!" I yelled. Emiljia and my friends watched in shock as I stared him down. He started to cry, and none of us knew what to do.

"I was always too hard on you. I'm sorry," he said. He ran out after my mother.

"Don't listen to him," Trish said. "You have to come back to us. _Promise."_

"I promise," I said. Either I'd keep it or I wouldn't care.

Emiljia was last of all. She had her arms folded in tightly against her chest, and she was trembling.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Her lips trembled and she tried to speak.

"I didn't volunteer," she said. "I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course. This isn't your fault either. We'll be all right. Something will work out," I said. Out of all of us, someone had to be the strong one. It was just funny it had to be me.

* * *

Kerry Samosa POV

I pulled up ahead of Cam, who was struggling to keep up.

"Slow down!" he called up. "You're gonna fall!"

"So what?" I answered. I might die tomorrow anyway. I had one day to enjoy life before the Reaping might take it all away. It was time to throw everything to the wind and go for broke.

It wasn't easy to get enough time to climb the rocky cliffs outside the city in Five. Usually I had to content myself with skinny trees or dilapidated buildings. Before the Reaping, everyone was distracted. No one noticed students playing hooky and no one had the heart to fire an absent worker. It was the perfect chance.

The sandstone underneath me was soft and fragile. I pressed myself flat against the cliff face and pushed myself up with my legs, feeling for secure handholds. All my life, I'd always wanted to go up. Farther, higher, harder- always more. There weren't many chances to improve your life in Panem, but I was determined to find one. Anything could happen. Maybe I'd go to the Capitol. But if it didn't have mountains, I wasn't interested.

"Oh, now it's a race?" Cam said. I heard rocks scraping as he sped up.

"It's always a race," I said, and I pushed myself onward. I glanced down between pushes, careful not to dislodge any rocks in his direction. Each look down thrilled me and flipped my stomach. We were up high enough that if we fell, we might not get back up. Bits of sand and dirt scraped my fingers and lodged under my nails as I clawed at the cliff.

I found my rhythm, and then it was like I was flying. I left Cam in the dust as I soared up the cliff. It was higher than I'd ever gone before. Before long, the top of the peak was in view, with the sun nearly blinding me behind it. I should have slowed as the incline steepened to a nearly vertical pitch, but I was past that. I wedged a foot into a crack in the rock and wiggled up the last ten feet. I hauled myself up onto a flat plateau and gloried in what I'd accomplished.

From the top, I could see all across Five. I could see the entire city, and the bit of open land around it, ringed with fences. I wondered about what lay across the fence and what life was like there. Maybe someday I'd find out.

"Hey! Little help?" Cam said, and I saw his hand at the edge of the final push. I slid out of my stomach and helped haul him to the top.

"Wow. It's great up here," Cam said as he looked around. He looked down and shied away from the edge. "Maybe not the smartest idea, though."

"No, not really," I said. But then, smart people would have stayed home. They'd be safe, but they wouldn't get to see this. Sometimes, it was worth it.


	7. Six Reaping

**WARNING: ATTEMPTED SELF-HARM**

 **One more note: I neglected to mention that Karyssa's and Angelo's POVs took place years before their volunteering. Angelo got better as he trained and was selected mostly because of his cunning and eclectic skills. Misa will still miss Karyssa, but she's not a kitten anymore.**

* * *

Addy Child POV

" _Attention passengers. Pan-Em Zeppelin 24601 has reached cruising altitude. You may now remove your seatbelts and move about the cabin. We'll be arriving at the Capitol in approximately two hours."_

Old-fashioned airships like this one weren't necessary anymore, of course. We had hovercrafts and supersonic jets that could have gotten us across Panem in half an hour. But Capitolites were as spoiled as they were rich, and they liked to travel in style. We were basically an airborne cruise ship, and it was my job to make sure everyone on board got the maximum luxury experience.

Of course, that's not why I signed on. I took the job as a cabin girl and generally gofer because it gave me a chance to pull some of the craziest stunts I could imagine. Which lead to the _other_ reason I took this job: I got fired from my last one for stealing a parachute and skydiving.

 _This_ time, my stunt was legitimate. Capitolites weren't happy _just_ to float through the air in a lighter-than-aircraft filled with luxury food and top of the line accommodations. Two hours was far too long to entertain themselves, and that's where I came in.

 _Attention passengers. Please look to your left for a look at our newest in-flight entertainment._ I could only hear the voice faintly, since I wasn't near the microphone. I wasn't near the main microphone at all, actually. I was near an auxiliary one placed on the outer shell of the airship so I knew when to start my show.

It took a lot of sweet-talking to get the pilot to sign off on everything, but it was worth it. I was studying for history class when I saw old planes used to have "barnstorming" shows, and people would run around on the wings and do all sorts of crazy stuff. It wasn't quite as dangerous on an airship, since we were going about twenty miles an hour, but I planned to make up for it. I saw the passengers look out the window and I could hear them gasp through the expressions on their faces. I was standing on a thin stabilizing beam that ran all around the zeppelin, about the width of a gymnastics bar. Without further ado, I launched into my routine.

I didn't do gymnastics on a regular basis, so most of my tricks were simpler than the passengers would have guessed. I waved at my audience and spun in a circle. I walked right up to the window and started to back out onto the bar, which ended without warning after about fifteen feet. I watched the passengers jam in closer and didn't look over my shoulder as I got closer to the edge. They grew more frantic and started pounding at the window and shouting warnings I couldn't hear. At the very edge of the bar, I stopped with one foot in open air, like I wasn't sure whether or nt to go on. I stepped back onto the bar and watched the passengers collapse in relief. I did a cartwheel down the bar and stopped in a handstand. I pretended to wobble as I got down, just to keep things interesting. I sat down and wrapped my legs around the bar, flipping myself underneath it and pulling myself back on top. I jumped up and stuck my hands in the air in a grand finale. As everyone clapped, I jumped off.

The thin wire attached to the harness underneath my clothes jerked like a bungee cord as I reached the end. My stomach fluttered as I dangled suspended in midair watching the reactions of the people above me. I pushed a button on my harness and the wire started to reel itself in. As I went up, I enjoyed the view. It was the craziest place in the world, and there was nowhere I'd rather be.

* * *

Titus Gein POV

No one ever wanted to think about Reaping Day. As I walked with my big brother Saul to the Reaping, we passed by two Morphlings. They were lying against a wall in a puddle. They were covered in sores and their skin was ashen and cracked. They had angelic smiles as they stared off at nothing. For the first time, I understood them. I'd always been afraid that one day I'm be an idiot and try morphling, and then I'd be hooked and I'd end up like the pale zombies that crawled the streets at night. But that was better than the Reaping. I'd do anything to stop thinking about that- even morphling.

Saul and I didn't say anything as we filed past the inspector and got into our groups. He was a year older than me, and as I saw him walking toward the last row, I hated him. I hated how he was only one year from freedom. It wasn't fair that he was the oldest. I wanted to push him out of the back row and take his place in line.

We still had the same escort. Something big must have happened in the Capitol, aside from Galba dying. One leader was the same as the next, and dead was dead no matter who killed me. I wasn't paying any attention to Otho as he said whatever he said. I was looking at my shoes trying not to throw up. The only thing I heard was my name splitting the air.

My legs went slack under me when I heard it. I tipped sideways and only the boy beside me kept me from falling. My face seized and I couldn't control the whimpers that came out of me. A Peacekeeper took my arm and dragged me onstage. I didn't resist- I was just paralyzed. My body shook like I was freezing to death. I stood weakly on the stage and searched the crowd for anything that would save me. My eyes fell on my brother.

 _"_ Saul," I whispered. It was like those dreams where something horrible chased me and no matter how I tried, I couldn't scream for help. "Saul." I held out my arms imploringly. _Come up here so I don't go. I'd rather watch you die._ His face was lined with tears, but he just looked away.

He didn't come to see me in the Justice Hall. I wouldn't have been able to tell, but only two people were there. They said some things and hugged me. It was very loud when they left, and for a while there were more people. Then I was alone.

Morpling was better than the Arena. The gutters were better than the Arena. There was nothing, nothing in the world worse than the Arena. After everyone left, I found my way out. I took my shirt off and twisted it like I was going to snap it at someone. I tied it around my neck and looked for something to tie the other end to. The door flew open and two Peacekeepers pinned me to the ground. I strained to reach their guns, hoping I'd be a big enough threat that they'd use them. Anything but the Arena.


	8. Seven Reaping

Ash Black POV

The Reapings were a joke. I hated the Capitol, and I knew they hated me just as much. The only reason I wasn't dead yet was because the Capitol had bigger fish to fry than a two-bit rebel. My time would have come eventually, and after the business with Richard, it came earlier than expected. Technically, I was already under arrest. I was only out for the Reaping. It was even more of a joke because I was going to die either way. You don't kill a Peacekeeper and get away with it. But then, a Peacekeeper doesn't kill my family and get away with it.

I was the only one in the crowd who wasn't thinking about the name in the bowl. I couldn't have cared less. My thoughts were occupied by flashes of my mother, whose only crime was rejecting a cruel man's lust. My stomach heaved when I thought of who was with her. Peach was five years old. She wouldn't even have been able to identify the killer. Did he kill her first, just to torture the woman who dared to reject him? I'd always hated the Capitol, but now hate was the only thing holding me together.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Minerva Chaise, and I'm your new escort! I'm very happy to meet you, and I'm very thankful that President Snow has given me this wonderful opportunity! For my first pick, let's have a handsome young man!" The woman's words buzzed faintly in my ear.

I wasn't surprised when I heard my name. The powers that be could kill two birds with one stone if a boy on death row went to the Games. After all that had happened, I hardly had any emotion left in me. I walked to the stage with my head down, refusing to look at the monsters from the Capitol. My friends were in the crowd somewhere, probably wondering what had happened and where I'd been the past few days. If I had time, I'd tell them.

Of course, there was plenty of time. I didn't have a family to visit me. My father preceded the rest of my family in death by several years, when he was shot for stealing. All I had left was Till and Apple, my two friends. They knew something was wrong, even though the story hadn't fully come out yet. Of course, something was obviously wrong since I'd been Reaped, but there was so much more.

"What happened? Where's your mom and Peach? Everyone's been talking," Till said.

"They're dead. Jacob killed them. I killed him. That's why I'm here," I said. Apple gasped and put her hands to her mouth. She was always so optimistic and cheerful. This floored even her.

"No," she said. I nodded silently.

"We have to do something," Till said.

"There's nothing left to do," I said.

"You can do this. You're strong," Apple said. I knew she believed it, even after all that had happened.

Everything hurt so much, I wanted to fade away and die. The only thing that stopped me was the Capitol. They'd taken everything and now they wanted me, too. They weren't invincible. Someday they were going to get what was coming to them.

I took out the token I'd brought with me, since I'd seen this coming. It was a necklace with a slender moon on it. I saved so hard to buy it for Peach. I took it from her bruised neck. When they got what was coming, I wanted to see it. The only way to do that was to live.

* * *

Desiree Redwood POV

I was as scared of the Reaping as anyone else, but we were all a little excited to see our new escort. It was like the Reaping wouldn't really start until after she came out, and I didn't have to be scared until then.

She didn't disappoint. The woman came out in a thick green velvet dress with cherry blossoms woven into her black hair. Her eyes were as green as her dress and her skin was the most gorgeous off-ivory sheen. She was going to make my last two Reapings worthwhile.

 _This isn't so bad. Just two more years. Then I can chop wood and run around the forest for the rest of my life. Just get through two more years,_ I thought as I heard Minerva announce her name and approach the bowl. Something was off about the boy she called, and it might have had something to do with all the hubbub recently about a murdered Peacekeeper. We all suspected the Reapings were rigged. I closed my eyes and tried to think of a forest as Minerva called the next name.

"Desiree Redwood!" she called. Suddenly she didn't look so pretty anymore. Everyone turned to look at me, even more than they usually did someone of my height. My mouth fell open and my face went slack. I was hyperventilating as I walked automatically to the stage. Everything blurred until I was in my room at the Justice Hall. My parents were wailing and carrying on, and I only didn't join because I was too shocked to understand. Mom put something around my neck. I looked later and saw it was my father's dogtags from work. Sometimes if a tree crushes someone, it's hard to tell who from what's left.

"It's okay, Paul. None of the others will be as strong as you," my big brother Malthus said. He was always teasing me about how tall I was and how strong I was from hauling lumber. I seem to recall Paul Bunyan was a little taller than six and a half feet, and people can't use my skillet as a skating rink, but I get it.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said. A nervous smile started to form, and I felt giddy. I didn't know what to think, and I started to think of all the things I'd see in the Capitol. I could make new friends with people from other Districts. They'd have so many cool things to talk about. There would be so many pretty ladies in the Capitol, with all their dresses and makeup. I could ally with some of the smaller Tributes and help them not be so scared. Maybe I'd come back. It wasn't over yet.

* * *

 **Once all the Reapings are up, I'll make a list of appearances so people can better know everyone.**


	9. Eight Reaping

**One note: Demarcus' submitter was about to go on vacation, so he quickly put together a starter form so we could go ahead and wouldn't have to wait. That might explain his odd name.**

 **It was actually Blaise**

* * *

Blaise Wesley POV

My friends and I always used to talk about what would happen if one of us was Reaped. We decided Phil would make it pretty far, but probably get himself killed trying to pet a mutt. Will would piss off some Career and get killed pretty quick. Rob might win if he had some good allies, but of course he wouldn't have us. As for Jeff... Jeff would die in the Bloodbath.

When it came to me, the others thought I had a good chance. I measured the cloth out in the factory, so I knew how to use a cleaver. It would be easy to switch to an axe. I was always making jokes and I was the one who brought the gang together, so it would be easy for me to get allies and sponsors. I was young, but I wouldn't be the youngest in the Arena. My friends always said they'd send me all the weapons and food I needed, and if I didn't win they'd never speak to me again.

It was fun to think about, as long as it wasn't near Reaping time. When that came around, I didn't want to pretend anymore. I was glad staying at home and doing normal Eight things. As we all clustered at the Reaping center, I focused on my friends. We were all scared, especially Jeff. He was such a mouse.

"We get to see our new escort today. I bet he's better than Remus. A _rock_ would be better than Remus," I said. Jeff laughed nervously, even though it wasn't that funny. I kept up a stream of asides and comments, hoping to distract us all from what was coming.

When our new escort came, I didn't have to worry anymore. A crazy thin, dark-skinned man walked on stage. Rather, he _pranced_ onto the stage, carrying a microphone attached to a walking stick covered in jewels. He wore a skintight snakeskin onesie and his bleached hair was formed into a curlicue over his head, which was caked in makeup. Four men dressed similarly filed onstage after him and surrounded him in a semicircle.

" _Aaaaaall right Paneeeeeeeeem!"_ he screeched in a squawky woman's voice. " _Are you ready for the one, the only, Rhodius Tuck?"_

I wasn't sure _anyone_ was ready for Rhodius Tuck. He flicked his hand into the air like he was swatting a fly and hovered it over the jar.

"Let's get some names! Who's it gonna be? Who's the lucky Tribute to see _all_ the _Capitol_ has to _offer?!"_ he asked, punctuating each few words with a dramatic burst. He picked a name from the boys' jar. Usually we were all petrified at this point, but it was so surreal we forgot. He held up the folded slip and started to open it. He slammed it back shut, then snapped it open. He looked out at us straight-faced, then threw his head and both arms back and tossed the slip onto the stage.

" _Blaaaaaaze Wesley!"_ he crowed. I was filled with such a mix of fear, confusion, fascination, and bizarre amusement that none could find their way to the top. I walked onstage next to Rhodius and he grabbed my hand. He pulled me close and peered at me like I was a diamond he was examining to see if it was fake. Just as suddenly, he released me and turned back to the crowd.

"This fine young man needs a lovely _lady!"_ he said. And if he'd reaped Galba herself, it couldn't have gotten any weirder.

* * *

Incense "Inky" Balboa POV

I loved being the mayor's cousin. We didn't get any of the money or prestige, but it gave my parents an entry-level clearance in Eight's library. What it meant for me was that I got to go in after hours and read some of the books that weren't permitted on the lending shelves. There was nothing too juicy at our level, but I got to see some of the stuff that was before the Dark Days. It was like seeing a whole different world. I counted the sentences and letters as I went, checking to make sure they all came out right.

 _There seems to be a vicious cycle here_ (eight words) _, making ours not just an economy but a culture of extreme inequality_ (twelve words, that makes twenty. Four fives). _Almost no one benefits but the agents of repression themselves._ (Eleven words. Not good)

I could see why the Capitol would let us read this book. Sometimes the old books talked about things they wouldn't like, like voting for presidents. This one talked about how unequal everything was when the government didn't take control. We all thought Panem was perfect back then, but they had problems too.

 _The candle shop is burning down. You left one of them burning._

I hated it when thoughts like that wouldn't leave me alone. I knew all the candles were out before I left. I checked five times. But still the thought kept coming back. No matter how many times I checked, I would still be nervous.

I couldn't stay at the library long. Sylvia, my parents and I had to go back to the candle shop and do our work. I locked the door as we left. I checked it five times, and I kept looking back over my shoulder as we walked away.

 _Take a last look. They won't let you back. You stole that book, remember? How could you forget? They'll take your family's clearance._

I focused on my work as I dipped forms into the soft tallow in our shop. It was a good business and it kept us all fed, but it wasn't for me. I wanted something more challenging, and something that would let me find out more things about the world. I dreamed about working at the library. I loved organizing the books by subject and alphabetically. When no one wanted to check something out, I could sit behind the desk and read all day long. With the candles, I was always afraid I'd miss a step or do something wrong. I didn't have to worry about that with books. I always felt at home at the library. It was the perfect place for me.


	10. Nine Reaping

**Granja's is longer because she had to set up some of Diggory's. His is short for obvious reasons. I don't know what specific trigger this would be, but Diggory is pretty upsetting.**

* * *

Granja Valdez POV

The other girls always tended to cluster around me during the Reapings. I wasn't the biggest or the strongest, not that that would have helped them anyway. I think they wanted to be near someone who cared. Most of us thought only of ourselves during the Reaping and were too scared to remember everyone else. I was scared for all of us. They went to me to feel secure, but I was the most scared of all.

Chimera must have gotten through the Capitol's drama, since he was still with us and wasn't dead or Avoxed somewhere. I'd expected him to be nervous, but he looked the same as ever in his favorite powder blue suit.

"Good morning, everyone," he said as though half of his friends hadn't disappeared and the president herself hadn't just died. "Let's get some names! How about the boys first?"

He squinted when he opened the slip. He held it closer to his face and then pulled his head back like a chicken. He looked both ways and spoke up hesitantly.

"Uh... Diggory?" he said. Every head in the crowd snapped forward the only person outside of Fluvius we could all recognize. It was a boy a year younger than I was- the only one here who wasn't afraid of getting Reaped. He _still_ wasn't afraid.

Everyone knew about Diggory. That wasn't his real name, as far as we knew. Things like this weren't supposed to happen in Panem, and he was our shame as well as our greatest enigma. We didn't even know he existed until he was twelve. When his father died at home, friends came looking for him and found a filthy boy chained to a bed. It was the first time Diggory ever came out of that room. He couldn't speak, he could barely walk, and as far as the doctors can tell, his brain hardly got past that room. He always stayed with his keeper, and she was trying to sneak him toward the back of the Reaping center when a Peacekeeper ran at her and belted her in the head with his nightstick. The blow knocked her away from Diggory and he bolted in a random direction. The Peacekeeper scooped him up and carried him to the stage.

I wouldn't have thought a Reaping could get any scarier. The girls around me were crying as they watched Diggory squirm on the stage. I would have thought this was too low even for the Capitol. Chimer looked guiltily at Diggory, then looked offstage and pointed at the bowl. He shook his head as if in response to someone, then moved to the girls' bowl. He laughed nervously.

" _AndnowforthegirlsGranjaValdez!"_ he blurted. I pasted on a smile to hide my terror as I scurried onstage, but no one was looking anyway. Standing next to Diggory, I almost forgot to be scared for myself. He was clinging to the Peacekeeper and whimpering. My chances for the Games were that much better than they would have been otherwise, but it wasn't worth it.

Matron Aisley brought some of the orphanage children to see me off. I was glad I didn't have parents that would be scared for me. I was even gladder I didn't have parents like Diggory's. Everyone was still shaken up about it all. The children gave me a whistle I used in the fields and left quickly. Or maybe it wasn't quick. I was so scared it was hard to keep track of time. Diggory must have been even more scared. There wasn't much hope for Nine this year.

* * *

Diggory POV

Hold Kasha hand. Walk. More walk. Leaf touch Kasha pull. More walk. People. People. Kasha. People. Want walk home. Want no noise no people want Kasha. Want name man blue.

Sun hot. Sky blue. Clouds. Clouds pretty. Clouds shape. Not square. Not circle. I want name shape. Want touch cloud. White cloud pretty cloud. Put hand up touch white cloud.

Kasha walk. Pull me. I walk Kasha. Walk home. Good walk home. Kasha pretty.

Big man stick. Man take stick hit. Hit Kasha. Father. Father stick hit. Sad hit Kasha. Kasha blood. Blood hurt stick Father. Sad hurt Kasha. Scared. Run.

Man stick hold me. Hold air cloud. Scared hold stick hit. Scared. Want Kasha. Kasha. Kasha hold me. No man stick.

Blue man. Man stick. Scared. Scared Kasha. Kasha me walk home. No man. Kasha. No stick.

Noise. Blue man noise. Me noise. Look Kasha blood. Look Kasha man man hold Kasha. Man man Kasha leave. Kasha walk stage hold hand. Kasha no leave. Scared.

Girl. Girl pretty not Kasha. Blue man hold hand. Girl hold hand. Man stick take girl hand.

Sit room not home. Not see Kasha. Room small Father. Not see Father. Kasha open door walk home. Kasha now. No small room Father. No bed chain Father. Home soft blanket red walls Kasha. Kasha. Kasha.


	11. Ten Reaping

**I'm looking for a 3 female from Ivolunteerasauthor, an 8 male* (I messed up a minute ago and said female) from Ultimatemaxmericashipper, and a 9 female from Jms2. If you sent in your Tribute, I just overlooked them in my file and please tell me so I look again. Otherwise, I'll do the 12 Reaping, wait a bit, and then reopen the slots.**

* * *

Rory Harris POV

The cows were the only ones around the farm that weren't nervous, and it was nice to be with them. I checked on them every night to make sure none were missing or injured. They knew when to expect me and always came filing in along the neat path they'd trodden in the grass.

Hattie was always first. She was the head cow, as evidenced by her bell. We only had cows on our farm. Other farms kept bulls, but my parents didn't want aggressive bulls around us children. Once a year we borrowed a stud from next door, but other than that, it was just the girls. And the chickens, the pigs, the sheep, and the goat. I'd already checked on all of them. The cows were always the last to turn in.

"You don't look very excited. Tomorrow is a very important day," I said as I checked Hattie and the others for wounds and tried to count them. She mooed at me and licked the air with her long, black, slimy tongue. The other cows bustled and crowded around in case I'd brought more feed.

"Don't worry, though. I probably won't get picked. There are a lot of people here," I said. Of course, I was more worried than the cows, and I was the only one I was trying to convince. It didn't matter if the chance was small. It was still there.

"Rory!" my mother called from the house. I ran back as the sun set behind me, hoping I'd hear the coyotes howl but only after I was closer to the house. Her eyes were already puffy when I got in, and she wasn't fooling anyone with the fake cheer in her voice.

"You need to get ready for bed. You have a big day tomorrow," she said. When she shut the door after me, she locked it. It was odd, because anything we had that was worth stealing was outside.

Gwen was already in bed, so I was quiet when I got into the room we shared. During the morning feeds, she always came with me and I carried her on my shoulders, just like Dad used to do for me. I was glad she was too small to worry about the Reapings, and would be until I was too old. Then I'd have to worry about her, which was even worse.

It was weird to think that tomorrow everything could change. I could go to the Capitol, and I hardly ever even left the farm. I hadn't gone to school in ages. It just wasn't for me, and I would have failed after eighth grade anyway. I was happy on the farm. I wished the Capitol would leave us alone. We'd give them their milk and beef and they could just let us be.

* * *

Zinnia Fraser POV

Prune, Marigold and Malina were all the family I had, and we were all at the Reaping together. I was almost always with one of them, since I crashed at their places whenever their parents let me. My parents weren't in the picture. I did all I could to support myself- I started picking weeds in the field when I was six- but I was still only thirteen. I couldn't do it all myself.

Mostly I hated the Capitol, like everyone else, but I had the oddest soft spot for Snapdragon. She seemed so emptyheaded and dumb, but I really liked all her pretty clothes. We wore a lot of calico and patterns in Eleven, and she fit right in, except hers were way fancier. She was wearing an airy purple fairy dress this time, and I wished I had something that pretty. She called Rory Harris for the boys. I didn't know him, and he reacted like most people. He just looked shocked.

"Zinnia Fraser!" she called, and then I didn't like her anymore. It took a minute for me to understand it was my name, and when I did, I'd just had enough. I sat down, folded my arms, and crossed my legs. They'd have to come get me. And they did. A bunch of Peacekeepers carted me to the stage as I tangled myself up in their feet and squirmed. As soon as they let go, I sat down on the stage with my back to Snapdragon. She tried to take our hands to raise them overhead and ended up awkwardly gripping my folded arm.

My sister Athena and I never got along, but I was glad when she came to visit me. She gave me a necklace with four bottle caps, for her and my three friends, and left. Prune, Marigold, and Malina stayed longer.

"This is so stupid. They can't keep doing this," I said. I wished I could just walk out of Panem and never stop walking. I was done with it all.

"Shhhh," Prune said, and she looked nervously at the door.

"Here they come," I said as the door opened. I scuttled underneath the narrow bench beside the wall and grabbed onto Malina's legs. She folded over me like a clothespin and tried to hang on as the Peacekeepers pried us apart. I couldn't stop them forever, but I made them work for their pay. I tried to keep hating them after all my friends left. Then I could pretend I wasn't scared.


	12. Eleven Reaping

Hoban Tam POV

The Reapings weren't as bad as some people thought. There were so many people in Eleven that the chances were barely there. There was a _chance_ I'd get hit by lightning while I was working the fields, but I didn't spend my whole life scared. As Ventrix and I walked to the Reaping, I was already thinking of what we'd do afterwards. I thought we could go through the orchards and sneak a few apples for our parents, since they spent the whole day worried sick about us.

It was nice to see Snapdragon was still there. I could only assume she was too dumb to earn Snow's suspicion. Honestly, she was so clueless I couldn't really be mad at her for participating in the Reapings. She probably thought the dead Tributes got better and went home.

"This time, I'm going to do the _girls_ first!" Snapdragon said, as though she'd come up with an idea so novel it would be the talk of the Reapings. She picked out a slip.

"Ventrix Webb!"

Ventrix and I had the opposite reactions than expected. She walked to the stage like nothing was wrong. I was the one who started to fall apart. I felt phantom hands on my chest, drawing the muscles tight. I kept breathing, but it was like the air never got past my lungs. My vision blurred and my lips tingled like they'd gotten sunburned.

Snapdragon must have called a male Tribute, but I didn't hear her. I was thinking about what I'd do without Ventrix. We always watched for Peacekeepers when the other stole apples. She helped me in math class and I helped her in history class. I didn't even think about what came next.

"I volunteer as Tribute!"

The boy on the stage started to shake and laugh hysterically. He ran back into the crowd as I got up to stand beside Ventrix. She'd finally started to react- her skin was pale and she was panting. When Snapdragon took our hands to present us, Ventrix stepped closer and clung to me.

When I saw my parents, I knew what I'd done. I'd never seen them cry, not even when the Peacekeepers whipped my mother because they thought she stole a shovel. Something broke in me and I wept like a baby. I held on to them and wished I was just a little kid again, too little for even the Capitol to kill. Somewhere in all the mess, they gave me a string of beads for a token. My brothers weren't there. My parents must have wanted to spare them.

"Are you mad?" I squeaked. I pretty much just killed myself. I'd be mad if my son did that.

"We knew this might happen. It would be both of you or neither," my father said. Ventrix and I had been friends since I saw her all alone on the first day of school. I'd never leave her alone, not even in the Arena. If I had to die, it would be the best way possible: staying with her.

* * *

Ventrix Webb POV

It's so weird going to the Reaping. Death seems so far away, but it takes one of us every time. I always felt separated from everyone else, like I was watching the Reapings but wasn't really part of them. I was glad Hoban was with me, and I hoped he wasn't scared.

Snapdragon had the dumbest outfit I'd ever seen on that ditz. It was an evening gown made up of dozens of different furs, each dyed some tacky color. I didn't want to think about how many animals died for it, and to make things worse, it was almost a hundred degrees out. I couldn't imagine how she wasn't dying of heatstroke.

"Ventrix Webb!" she called. That was my name, but it was nothing to be worried about. She must have meant one of those other Ventrixes in Eleven. I stood by her while I waited for her to correct the mistake.

"And now for the men!" Snapdragon said. "Hejj Obedi!" A boy I didn't know joined me. He was trembling and his eyes were wild.

"Do we have-"

 _Oh god it's me._

It wasn't a mistake. It was me. I was going to die. I didn't think it was possible to be so afraid. It was like everything around me was trying to kill me, like I was so scared my brain was going to snap. I wanted to run off the stage and never stop running, but I was frozen. I could feel my heart flopping inside my chest and it felt like I was breathing through a straw. I felt myself slip outside of my body, but even then I was afraid.

"I volunteer!" someone yelled. Then Hoban was next to me on the stage. I grabbed on to him like a life preserver. He was the only thing I could be sure of in the world.

Back in the Justice Hall, I understood that Hoban had volunteered for me. I wished I hadn't gotten so scared, so he hadn't felt obligated. I was glad he was with me, though, and I felt guilty.

The only person who came to see me was my little brother Husan. I came from a big family, but we were always busy trying to get enough to survive. The others would still be out in the fields.

"I brought you this," Husan said. He gave me a hand-sized board book I recognized right away. It was _Don't be Scared, Bear._ I used to read it to him when he was littler and still afraid of the dark. It was about a little boy whose best friend was a bear who chased all the scary monsters away.

"It'll help you not be afraid," Husan said. And it _did_ help. I felt better right away, and I was even brave enough to smile.

"Thanks. It's perfect," I said. After he was gone, I started to read it.

 _Don't be scared of the closet. I will chase away all the goblins and trolls. I will scare them with my big claws and my sharp teeth..._

* * *

 **It seems the author of "Don't be Scared, Bear" didn't read his own book. It was the boy that was scared, not the bear.**


	13. Twelve Reaping

Chase Strata POV

It took me months to be able to afford the brass lighthouse necklace. By then, it was obvious my mother wasn't going to get better. It would be something she could wear in her coffin. But she'd always wanted to see a lighthouse, and before long her dream bled over into me. I worked overtime for hours in the dark mine passages to get her that little sliver of light.

My mother loved it when I sang to her. It was the only way to give her enough strength to eat. I tried to get as much into her as I could before I had to leave. It was hard for me to keep my voice strong as I thought about what came next. It was hard enough to watch my mother dying more every day. The medicine I needed to get for her only slowed things down, and the thought of getting it made me feel faint.

The apothecary's owner wasn't the problem. Mr. Lawrence was a really nice guy. It was his _son_ that terrified us all. There was something wrong with that boy. Half the people who visited the apothecary only needed to because of him. The only reason he wasn't in jail was because he was too smart to give the Peacekeepers any trouble.

I didn't want to go. It was my deepest shame, but every time Mother's prescription ran out, I fantasized about finding her dead right before I left. She wouldn't be sick anymore, and I wouldn't have to face him again. One day it would come true, and I'd never forgive myself.

Not going wasn't an option. I had to do anything I could for my mother, no matter how scared I was. I couldn't speak as I left her bedside and started out the door. I didn't want him to see me afraid, but there was no hiding it.

The apothecary was empty when I reached it. My breath shuddered in relief as I darted inside and opened the drawer that always housed my mother's pills. I listened for any sound of someone coming and ran outside the building without even shutting the door as soon as I had the bottle.

"Thief!"

I knew it had to be him. Mr. Lawrence knew me from my many previous visits, and everyone else around had seen me as well. Without looking back, I started to sprint away from the building. He didn't actually think I was a thief. He just wanted an excuse for what he was about to do. My only chance was to get to somewhere people could see me.

I lurched forward as something hit the back of my shoulder. I almost fell, but I knew he'd be on me if I stopped for even a second. I ran through the pain and didn't stop until I was outside the door to my house.

Before I went in, I pulled the arrow from my shoulder. We weren't allowed weapons in Twelve, and that saved me from a far more serious wound. The boy's bow must have been handmade, and it wasn't strong enough to send the arrow very deep into my shoulder. It was hard to move my arm, but it wasn't bleeding profusely. I bandaged it and put Mother's pills by her bed.

"What's that?" she asked when she saw the bandage. I pulled my shirt over it.

"I just tripped on the way," I told her. My shoulder throbbed, but what I had to give her made the pain seem unimportant.

"I got you something," I said. I pulled the necklace from my pocket by its chain. She gasped when she saw it, and her eyes lit up for the first time in weeks.

"Now we've both seen one," I said. When her fingers were too weak to put it on, I helped her clasp it. Everything I'd been worrying about faded away, and everything was right.

* * *

Peach Unk POV

The one good thing about Twelve was that the Peacekeepers hated it as much as we did. None of them wanted to be here. It was an embarrassing assignment reserved for those of them who'd messed up their last job or pissed off their superiors. They didn't care about any of us and they didn't care about what happened. They left us alone unless we gave them trouble, and as a result, we had more freedom than any other District. My father, however, had something to say about that.

"Where have you been? You come home in the middle of the night after doing who knows what while I sit at home worrying," he said when I came back in one night. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you care? I'm not getting into trouble. I do my homework and mind my own business. Why can't you mind yours?" I asked.

"Maybe I don't want a tramp for a daughter," he said.

"Maybe I don't want a Peacekeeper for a father," I said back. Really, I more of shouted it back, but he was shouting first. We must have woken my little sister, since she came up behind him and tugged at his pants, crying.

" _Shut up!"_ my father yelled. He whirled around and raised his hand, evidently not realizing it was his daughter he was about to hit and not an errant dog. I darted around to get in his way and ended up taking the blow. My sister started to wail and my father looked at both of us with shock and fled into his room.

I slept curled up with my sister that night, trying to comfort her.

"Everything's about to get better. Tomorrow I'm going to go off and make a better life for us. We won't be poor and Dad won't be so angry anymore," I told her. I didn't tell her tomorrow was Reaping Day.

The next day, Demi reaped the boys first. She called up Chase Strata. I didn't know him, or at least I didn't think I did. It was hard to tell under all the soot. He swayed as he stood onstage, and he hardly seemed to know what was going on.

No one expected a volunteer. That was one reason I did it. I'd always been drawn toward whatever people didn't want me to do, and it got me in trouble as much as would be expected. I enjoyed the shock that went through the crowd as I walked up next to Chase.

I noticed an odd smell when I got upstage. I gagged when I realized it was Chase. His arm was red and swollen, and something green was oozing under the skin. It was no wonder he seemed so spacey. He looked like he was already rotting.

Demi was on the other side of him, so she couldn't see the damage. When she stepped between us to present us, she took hold of his bad arm. Chase whimpered and fell to his knees as she yanked it up. Demi's microphone picked up her gasp as she dropped it and stepped back. I saw her eyes fill with tears. I didn't think any of the Capitolites cared about us. Before she could ask me, I scurried behind Chase and raised his good arm up with mine.

Seeing Chase gave me a new perspective on my actions. I was focused on living my own life, and here he was just trying not to die. I volunteered for this, and he was going into a deathmatch already half dead. I'd been terribly hasty, and I hoped I was right. If I wasn't, it was too late for me.


	14. Here's My Advice

Azure Doyle

Hiyas was just like me. Crap.

* * *

Avarielle Hanson

 _Oh no what do I say? I've never done this before. Why don't they just keep letting Pray be mentor? She's the best at it._

"Ahem... good morning. I'm Ava, and I'll be your mentor. I suppose we should get to know each other. What made you decide to volunteer for the Games?" I asked Valerie.

"Me and my little brother always bickered over who was going to be the family's Victor. I'll show him how it's done," she said.

"I wouldn't want my little brother in the Games," I said. She went from enthusiastic to uncertain in an instant. I ruined everything within two minutes. I knew they should have had Pray do this.

* * *

Acee Hal

"I hear you're good with electronics," I said to Electra. She shrugged.

"Probably not as good as you, but I get by," she said.

"Keep doing what you're doing. Tell me if you need help," I said.

"I hear you're good at... fighting," I said to Demarcus. I craned my neck to look up at him and wondered what a musclehead like him was doing in Three.

"Yeah, but I want to learn some other things to. And- this might be stupid, so that's okay- but I'd like to look into an alliance. With someone who has different skills, you know?" he seemed oddly vulnerable for such a big guy, like he was afraid I was going to laugh.

"That's a great idea. Intelligence is more than mechanics, you know," I said. For the first time, Demarcus smiled.

* * *

Jonah Breaker

Most of my Tributes preferred Tridents, and they were usually muscular from years of swimming. Angelo was nothing like that. At first I wrote him off, but he surprised me.

"I know guys from Four usually go with the Careers, but I don't want to stay with them long. Don't tell anyone, but I'm sort of a medic," he said.

"A medic... Career?" I asked, my skepticism obvious in my face and tone.

"I want them to _think_ I'm a medic. I _do_ know all that stuff, but I also know what medicines kill. _That's_ the part I don't want them to know.

It seems I judged too soon.

* * *

Sky Levings

"I want to learn something new. Can you teach me about explosives?" Quiola asked me.

"That's a lot to learn if you're just starting now. It would be easier to learn traps. Also, be sure to learn survival stuff. Us city slickers from Five have a disadvantage in most Arenas," I told her.

"Okay. Thanks," Quiola said.

"Whatever you do, be sure to impress the Gamemakers. If you get a good score in your session, they'll want to see whatever you showed them in the Arena. They'll be more likely to put supplies you need near your platform or put you far away from the Careers," I said.

"Cool! I'll win this thing yet," she said. My Tributes didn't usually smile on the train. She seemed like she wanted to put me at ease, and I hoped I could do the same for her.

* * *

Toby Cash

There was a boy and a girl with me in the train. The boy was trying to get off. He must be able to fly. The girl didn't like him. She yelled something at him and shook his collar.

They were making so much noise. I hummed to myself and looked out the window. The colors were pretty as they went by.

* * *

Paul Wilson

Ash sat down across the table from me silently. He didn't look sad, or scared, or anything at all. He looked dead. Then his lip trembled and he folded over the table with his head in his arms, crying so hard he shook.

"It's okay. We're all scared," I said. I put a hand on his back and he shook his head. He kept trying to say something, but he couldn't get it out.

"Peach," he said at last. It was muffled by his arms and the table. He must have left behind a girlfriend.

* * *

Tillo Peters

"Is there a library in the Capitol?" Incense asked straight away.

"I guess so. I never looked," I said.

"Libraries always feel like home," she said. She could do whatever she wanted, but I could at least give her a nudge in the right direction.

"You should focus on learning to fight," I said.

"I will. I just thought I could learn some things out of books," she said. It wasn't my style, but I wasn't the only Victor.

* * *

Chimera Ilium

 _What have I done to deserve this?_ Is this how the people in Nine raised their children? Diggory was a _savage._ He hadn't left my side since we got him on the train. As soon as I sat down he climbed up in my lap and started pulling at my rainbow bow tie. It was like caring for a baby. I tried to maintain my decorum.

"Now Granja- _excuse_ me, Diggory- I doubt you've had much chance to learn proper etiquette. In the Capitol, you'll be expected to be a graceful-" I squirmed as Diggory's exploratory movements tickled me- "young lad _ee."_ My train of thought was by then completely derailed by the wild child flicking my earring with a finger.

"I shall do my very best," Granja said. Her face froze as she politely tried not to laugh. She was off to a good start.

* * *

Bambi Kirkland

I could tell right away Rory was a nice guy. That made him Bloodbath material.

"It's nice to meet you. Good job winning," he said.

"Don't mention it. I'm supposed to teach you how to win, but if it's all right, I'd rather teach you how to stay alive," I said. He shrugged.

"It's the same thing. I don't want to fight anyone anyway. But I guess I'd know how if I had to. At home we all have to help slaughter cows.

 _Cattle._

I fled the room.

* * *

Pepper Wilson

"Hoban and I are allies," Ventrix said.

"No kidding," I said. I wished it wasn't so, even though it would help her chances. If I could leave the boys to Orchard and never come into contact with them, it wasn't so bad. The girls I could help. They weren't like... someone else.

"Hoban's stronger than me. I should focus more on survival stuff," she said. I latched onto it immediately.

"Perfect. Orchard's good with that stuff, so he should work more with her. I can help you with food and shelter," I said.

"Great!" she said. _Exactly._

* * *

Nubu Sanders

I had someone's life in my hands. It had happened once before, and I'd always regret the way it turned out. I was supposed to mentor both Chase and Peach, but I had an ally in Demi. She wasn't like most Capitolites. She knew far more about the Games than I did, and she was most likely a better mentor than I'd ever be. Peach took to her right away, and I was left with Chase.

I was left with what was _left_ of Chase, that was. I barely saw him on the train, since he was rushed straight to the medical car for massive doses of antibiotics. I knew from what little I'd seen that we'd need to focus on running, not fighting. I thought of another Tribute his age who lived far longer than anyone would have thought. Chase wasn't finished yet.


	15. Fashion is Fickle

Hollan Makhpiya

Karyssa's gold bracelet gave me all the inspiration I needed. She was going to be so fabulous.

* * *

Tigris Chatte

I couldn't believe my luck. Frippery was... let go, and as her head assistant, I was _in._ And I was going to stay in. Theo was just the beginning. There was nothing I knew better than being pretty.

* * *

Cilantro Pestle

"How'd you get all those scars on your arms?" I asked Electra. I'd have to cover those right away. They were entirely unsightly.

"I fell down the stairs," she said.

* * *

Rouge Twain

Careen hardly needed any help. Her red hair and blue eyes were flawless. I saw the seahorse around her neck and that topped it all off.

* * *

Blush Paletti

"What's this? What's that? This is a cool color," Kerry said as he bounced around the room. I kept trying to apply his makeup only to smudge it when he found something else to look at.

"Will you just sit still?" I asked. Life is short, but that boy was burning his candle on both ends.

* * *

Puff Auri

"Usually I just wear simple clothes. I like to run around and stuff," Addy said.

"That won't do. How can you stand to be so _boring?_ We'll fix you up," I said. I went straight for _the dress._

* * *

Flora Kettle

 _Oh boy oh boy this is so exciting! I get to dress Desiree and make her_ so _pretty! She's so tall! What would look good on her? I don't even know if any of the dresses are long enough._

* * *

Baste Marinade

Blaise told me he just _loves_ dolls. Since he comes from Eight, it's just perfect! This is going to be so wonderful.

* * *

Mint Goblet

Granja was such a precious child. She was so pretty she hardly needed any makeup. Mostly I just cleaned up the scars from her field work. The people from Nine are such barbarians, making such a young child work.

* * *

Phoebe Vane

Pardon me for speaking ill of the dead, but Filay was a hack. Every year the same thing. I was tired of it. They were going to be sorry they ever mocked ten. Out with the old, in with the new. It was time to mooove on.

* * *

Creme Brulee

Hoban had the most curious string of beads.

"They're for praying, but I don't really use them," he said when I asked about them.

"So you're like a witch doctor?" I asked. The possibilities were endless.

* * *

Cuisine Martinique

"Oh my goodness, that looks awful!" I said when I saw Chase's arm.

"It's really all better. It just looks bad," he said.

"That's what I meant! That cast is hideous! This is a disaster!"

* * *

 **Note: Hoban is in fact not a witch doctor.**

 **Sadly, we lost three stylists in the power shift as Snow took over. Frippery got Avoxed for looking at Snow the wrong way. Cocoa couldn't take the guilt anymore and actually did try to foment rebellion, so she got executed. Filay just got fired for being a terrible stylist.**


	16. Parade

Polyphemus Ignotus POV

"Good morning, Panem! It's that time again! On behalf of our wonderful President Snow, I present to you... _The Fortieth Hunger Games parade!"_

"One comes first, as always. Karyssa is a vision in class- a head-to-toe golden idol! She knows it, too, and she's looking straight ahead with the ferocity of a true Career. Hiyas is less pleased with his outfit, and it's easy to see why. His head-to-toe _silver_ paint is less impressive, and he won't even look at Karyssa as he sulks over the edge of the chariot."

"I know _I've_ been dying to see what our newest stylist Tigris Chatte will _drag in._ And she hasn't disappointed. Theo looks terrifying as a Roman warrior, and Valerie is just as foreboding in her Amazon armor and paint. They hold their weapons up and ready for war."

"Electra wears a simple and tasteful gown covered with lines of electricity. She looks angry at the crowd, but I don't know why. They love her. Demarcus' suit is plain black, and the electricity theme is found in his hat, which is a crown of sparklers. He's standing very still as the sparks fly around him, only moving to swat them away when they fall on his clothes."

"I've never seen anything like this, and I love it. Careen is covered in green-blue scales, leaving only her blue-painted face open. She most be loving it as much as I am, since she's swaying like a fish. Angelo's wearing a more conventional fisherman outfit. Ha! He just tossed his line at Careen. She grabbed it and now he's miming that he's pulling her in."

"Quiola's getting more entertainment from her partner than from the parade. Kerry keeps moving around and pointing at things in the crowd to show her. It's like they're watching the show, not part of it. Their matching matchstick costumes are forgettable, but they sure aren't."

"Oh... did Puff forget the parade has a theme? That's a very eye-catching dress Adonia has, but it has nothing to do with transportation. It has more skirts than a revue and more accessories than a shoe store, and Adonia can't move at all, which seems ironic. Titus has the expected conductor's outfit. He's shyly tucked into a corner of the chariot. Six is slow as molasses this year."

"Desiree's already as tall as a tree, so Flora's job was easy for her first time. Desiree is wearing a simple green suit, and she's waving warmly at the audience. Ash refuses to look at them. He seems upset, but I can't imagine why. He's in the _Capitol,_ the city of glitz and dreams! Of course, he's dressed as an ash tree."

"That's cute- Blaise is a doll! I'm not sure why he's hiding his arms behind his back and refusing to look at his costume. It's a doll, not a snake. Incense is wearing your everyday floofy dress with lots of layers of fabric. Sometimes Eight takes the easy way out. She's running the layers through her hands like she wants to know what each one is."

"Granja wears a simple farm sundress and she's holding a sheath of grain. She seems to be enjoying herself, and she waves at the crowd like they're already old friends. Diggory's suit is covered in dandelions, and he's having a grand time blowing them one by one at the audience."

"A little birdie told me that Ten is going to be a real shocker this year. But then, anything but cows would- oh my! It's not cows! Rory is wearing a butcher outfit, and I hope those stains aren't real. Zinnia's dress is canary yellow and moves like a swan, but I know enough about Ten to know those feathers came from chickens."

"Why is Hoban dressed as some sort of savage medicine man? They don't have those in Eleven. Maybe he's supposed to be a Voodoo doctor? Ventrix thinks it's pretty funny too, and Hoban just shrugs as she laughs. They're standing side by side with their arms around each other. Ventrix's dress looks good enough to eat, since it's made of corn tassels, tomato slices, banana peels, and hemmed with blueberries."

"Chase's arm is still in a cast, but Cuisine has made the best of it. She's fashioned it into the tip of a mining pick, with the rest of Chase providing the handle. Peach is wearing some sort of wire frame and her one-piece suit is studded with lights. Oh, she's the lantern! Genius! She's up against one edge of the chariot, trying not to jar Chase's cast. He's waving merrily with the one arm he has left.

"There they go, folks, and I've never seen anything like it. I see this every year, and there's still nothing like it. Old favorites, new surprises, and twenty-four of the bravest children in Panem. Win or lose, we'll never forget them."

* * *

 **Hoban's beads were Mala beads. They're used in Buddhism.**


	17. Careers

**I forgot to ask for parade outfits, so that was my fault. Careen, however, _did_ have an outfit listed and I forgot to look since most Tributes didn't have one. It was an angelfish-inspired dress, so I wasn't that far off. Sorry about that.**

 **I also forgot to mention that Zinnia was supposed to have a field worker outfit. She jumped from her chariot halfway through the parade and yelled at the Peacekeepers until they removed her from the parade.**

* * *

Hiyas Tonto

It was nice to be with people who were on my level. I could swing around a mace with the other Careers and cheer them on as they practiced their own weapons. Of course it was also nice to look at the ladies. They were in great shape, after all.

Careen was my particular favorite. I dug her long legs and wavy hair. If we didn't have to kill each other, maybe we could have been friends. She wasn't as rich as a lot of Careers, so she didn't go to the Academy every day like I did. She was nervous about her skills, so I started sparring with her. She used double knives, and she wasn't perfect, but she was better than I was.

"You were already good, but you're a lot better now," I said after a session.

"You really think so?" she asked. She didn't need me to boost her confidence, but everyone likes a compliment.

"Yeah! You're going to take the others by surprise. Not that they think you're bad," I added when her face fell. "There's just always someone who's going to think he's better than you."

"Thanks! Hey, I'm gonna go try out the swords for a while. Thanks for helping," she said.

I'd expected her to go for me right away, but not all girls were like the bimbos back home. And as hard as it was to admit, I had stiffer competition here. There were lots of boys as athletic as I was. I'd have to step up my game.

* * *

Karyssa Evans

Most of the Careers spent their time with weapons they already knew. I wanted to compensate for my weaknesses, so I went to the hand-to-hand station. I'd never been good at that. My reach was small and I could never remember all the different body parts that had to be in position for a strike.

I always hoped it would magically come to me each time I practiced. It never did, and this time wasn't different. It was embarrassing to get thrown by even the beginner sparring partners in front of everyone. I could feel the eyes of the outliers on me, thinking maybe they had a chance.

It was risky practicing a skill I was so bad at. The other Careers might think I wasn't worth their time. They might kick me out of the pack, or keep me in just to target me. I'd have to go to a station I knew next, like spears or throwing stars, to let them know I meant business.

Or maybe I didn't have to. Sometimes it was the Tributes that seemed weakest who won, like the two ghosts from Six. No one remembered they were there, and no one thought to kill them. It was gutsy to hope everyone would underestimate me so much they'd let their guards down, but every strategy was a risk in the Games.

I wasn't sure, but I still had time. I also had to balance that possible strategy with the risks of alienating my sponsors. One put a lot of time and energy into the Academy. If I looked like a waste of all that, they wouldn't want to spend any more money on me. In some Arenas, it was nearly impossible to win without sponsors. I thought of the cold Arena so long ago. Half the Tributes died the first day. The Careers lived until the end because they were the only ones who had coats. There were a lot of decisions to make before the private sessions.

* * *

Theo Kasius

After I got selected and volunteered, it seemed like the hard part was over. Most of the Tributes were scared- for good reason- but I was excited. Even in Two, we hardly ever got to leave the District. I was excited to see the Capitol and all the new things in Panem. The train ride showed me more of our country than I'd ever seen. I wanted more, and that meant I had to win.

I explored the entire Games building the first day of training. I'd already trained all my life. A few more days wouldn't do anything but make me nervous and show the others exactly what I could do. When night fell, I rounded up the rest of the Careers and we went to the top of the building. The lights of the Capitol stretched on as far as I could see, like the city never ended.

"Did you ever see anything like this?" I asked. We had cities in Two, but not like this. Everything seemed so spartan at home, like we were so used to cold stone that it bled into our souls.

"Some people get nervous when they can't see land. For me, it's weird not being able to see water," Careen said.

"You don't have mountains in Four, right?" I asked.

"No, it's flat. Just a lot of beaches. A few cliffs, I guess," Angelo said. It was weird thinking about how different all the Districts were. There were entire other worlds hidden in my own country. There was so much to see and do, and the only way to get there was to volunteer. It was funny that I had to spend my entire life stuck in a building in order to get a chance to see what was outside. When I thought about winning, my favorite part to imagine was the Victory Tour. I wanted to go on the train and see all the other Districts, places I'd only heard about. It was great to see the Capitol, but I wanted more. We each got a tiny sliver of Panem. I wanted it all.

* * *

Valerie Lenn

I thought a long time before I wrote the letter. I wasn't sure what the protocol was for sending messages back home, but it would probably get to him somehow.

 _Dear Jason,_

 _Well, I'm finally here. It's not quite what I had in mind. Back there, the Careers are the coolest of the cool. Here, I'm just another Tribute. It's weird to think no matter how much I train, I'm still just one Tribute in 24. I'm not scared or anything, but maybe I should have looked at the other options more closely. Like, cousin Barb is a cook, but she's still super cool even though she couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a spear._

 _Everything here is nice and all, but it's really not that much better than home. They don't know how to make smoked bacon right. I hope I'm not as annoying as the other Careers. Some of them never stop bragging, but I guess some things never chance._

 _Don't let me get you down. I'm having a lot of fun and all. It's just a little underwhelming. Maybe it gets better once you're a Victor. And really, there's not much point in having two Victors in a family. We'd already be rich and get to live in the Victor's Village. It would be more impressive if you became the Academy Headmaster. Everyone who won after you would owe it all to you. We'd be the greatest family in Two._

 _I should get going. I have to train and all that stuff. I hope you're having a good time, but don't knock yourself up. It's not really all it's cracked up to be. Hope I see you soon._

 _Love,_

 _Valerie_

* * *

Angelo Tempest

Careers don't associate with outliers. They're the prey, and they're not worth our time. I hardly knew what to do with myself during training, though. I didn't want everyone to know I used poisons, and among the Careers, I was only mediocre with the other weapons. I mostly wandered around and watched the others show off.

Before long I'd had enough. There was sure to be a library around somewhere. I could read about plants and medicine there without anyone bothering me. I asked a passing Avox, and she lead me to a sign and pointed out where the library was. I thanked her and set off.

I would have expected a huge, opulent chamber of books, but the Capitol apparently didn't think much of reading. The door to the library was just like any of the others.

As I walked through it, I bumped into someone. She gasped and backed away like she'd offended me. I saw it was the girl from Nine, and she looked terrified.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she said, and she shrank back with her hands over her mouth.

"It's okay. I didn't even see you," I said. I didn't know what she was so upset about. I tried to say something else, but she ran back into the room and slipped through a side door.

I felt sick to my stomach when I understood. I was a Career. She was an outlier. To her, I was the boogeyman. I was the big scary monster who was going to hunt her down just because of what she was. I left the Academy because of all the bullies there. I hated them, always picking on anyone smaller and making trouble for no reason. I never wanted to be like them. But to her, that's what I was.

* * *

Careen Ellis

"The others seem really strong. I don't know if I'm that good," I confessed to Mags. I didn't go to the Academy every day like most of them. But then, Angelo didn't either. Maybe Four was the weakling of the Careers this time.

"They picked you out of all the candidates," Mags said. "And there's more to winning than killing. It's called the Hunger Games, not the Murder Games. I didn't win by killing. Back then, Victors often didn't. I won because I didn't go hungry."

"That's right, isn't it?" I wondered aloud. "You only fought one other Tribute." The other boy was weak with hunger by then. Mags didn't even have to kill him. She just wounded him and retreated to wait it out.

"A Victor needs to know how to survive. That's all that matters. Above all, adapt. Be ready for any Arena. Know how to fish, but also know how to light a fire," Mags said. Of course she knew what she was talking about, and I had mad respect for her. She was Four's first Victor. She was a legend.

"You don't have to be the strongest. You only have to be stronger than your opponent. You can know everything there is no know about fighting, but if you haven't eaten in a week, none of it will help you," she said.

"So I should study plants?" I asked. Mags waved her hand.

"Plants are hard to tell apart. I almost killed myself with water hemlock thinking it was a parsnip. Are there any plants you already know?" she asked.

"I mean, I know seaweed, and I know I can eat dandelions," I said.

"Focus on those. I ate almost nothing but fish for three weeks. Starvation is your main enemy. The Games won't be long enough for malnutrition to be a problem. All Victors have scurvy. Just eat enough to be strong," she said.

I'd been going about it all the wrong way. I'd thought winning was about outfighting and outthinking. Those were both important, but they were means to an end. Winning was all about outlasting.


	18. The Long Shots

Addie Child

I wanted to do all the crazy things the Games Building had to offer, but business came first. Also, bungee jumping was now banned after that Career boy did it a few years back, so I'd have to find something else.

I knew I wanted allies, and I knew who I wanted. I didn't care how many there were. Outliers needed to stick together. My first target was the first other Tribute I came across in training.

"Careers suck. Want to be allies? They can't fight everyone at once," I said to Zinnia. She was sitting in the middle of the room with her arms folded and a very determined expression. She thought a long time before answering.

"All right," she said.

"Want to come help me find more?" I asked. She didn't answer and glared stonily at any of the attendants who crossed her vision. I finally gave up.

 _Okay, that was a bit weird. Next time for sure._ It was hard to keep my eyes on the prize when there were so many cool weapons and things to try. I had to take a break and clamber across the rope course. It was just too tempting.

My next target was Chase, who had been adding a thatch roof to a homemade shelter for ages. His arm was still in a cast, so that probably made things more difficult.

"Careers suck. Want to be allies? They can't fight us all," I said. He was so surprised he knocked over one wall of his shelter.

"Me? YES!" he said.

 _See, that was much better._

* * *

Inky Balboa

It was really cool to see all the different Tributes. They came from all across Panem, and we all had such different lives. I already knew I wanted an alliance, so I agreed right away when Addie asked me. She went off to get more allies, and I stuck around to see what I could find out. Mostly I wanted to know what sort of Arena to expect, so I could plan better. Obviously, the best place to find out about the Games would be by asking people who were there.

Tillo was first. I already knew her Arena, of course, since she was our only Victor. Hers was a huge shopping mall. That meant it might be inside, and in that case my biggest worry would be hiding. There were three other people in our alliance. Their mentors would be willing to help me out, too. The others might get mad if I asked, so I stayed away from them.

Zinnia's mentor Peppermint won in a mangrove forest. _Her_ mentor Orchard won in a plain field, since that was the first Games. Eleven's other Victor, Mars, won in a cave Arena. So far, I'd learned that the Gamemakers liked the Arenas to be different. Ours would probably be something they hadn't done before. Maybe a factory? That would be nice for me.

Rory's mentor Bambi won in a wheat field Arena. That made four outdoor Arenas and only one indoor one. That might mean the Gamemakers liked outdoors more, or it might mean they'd want an indoor one this time for variety. Ten's other Victor, Cornflower, won in a tundra Arena. Her friend Fluvius said the Gamemakers didn't like that year because it was boring. They probably wouldn't make another Arena as harsh as that one.

Last of all was Chase. Nubu just won, so I remembered that his Arena was a jungle with dinosaurs.

After I'd asked everyone, I went over my information. Most of the Arenas were warm and most were outside. They always had some sort of food to make the Games last longer. I needed to do more research, but I had a good start. I'd hit up the library next. It was sure to have tons of information on all the Games. And it was a library.

* * *

Rory Harris

I didn't know how it was possible to get lost in a single building. Back home we had sprawling fields where you could go hours without seeing anything, but I'd never had a problem. Here, everything looked the same, and I was all turned around before I realized it.

I stopped by a sign and tried to figure out where I was. The sign was covered in rows and columns, and whenever I looked, they scrambled themselves up. It was impossible to follow which room was with what number. It wasn't helping at all.

"You lost?" someone asked next to me. I recognized one of the Victors from Eleven, but I didn't know his name. He was old, so he must have been one of the earlier ones. He stopped next to me and squinted at the sign.

"I never could read these things. Too many numbers and letters all close together," he said. I'd never heard of anyone being like me. I thought I was just dumb.

"Do you need glasses?" I asked. He smiled.

"No, that's not the problem. Tell the truth, I never learned to read more than a few words. It never came easy to me," he said. "They're all mixed up."

"Really?" I asked, and I was embarrassed I was so eager. "But you won anyway."

"You don't have to read to win. I was the biggest. But sometimes small people win too," the man said.

"I hope so," I said, even though I wasn't the smallest.

"Here, I think I can help you. I've been here so much I have it all memorized. You belong on the Ten floor, right? Let's get you back," the man said. And that's how I met Mars.

* * *

Zinnia Fraser

I didn't talk to Peppermint or Orchard. I knew they were only trying to help, but I was too mad. I knew it wasn't their fault, but I was so mad I didn't want to talk to anyone. I wished there was more I could do to show how wrong this all was. I wanted to run out of the building or tear off the wallpaper or something. Anything to get people to see.

I knew a few things from back in Eleven, like how to go hungry and how to find plants. I didn't want to try anything else in the training room. I didn't want any of them to pat themselves on the back and say how nice they were for helping me learn things. They didn't get any credit for teaching me how not to die when they were the ones killing me.

I'd made all the ruckus I could. I disrupted the parade and I refused to go out and mingle with the gawkers waiting to see a real live Tribute. Who was soon to be a real _dead_ Tribute. I hardly left my room except for meals. There didn't seem to be much more I could do, and it was endlessly frustrating.

But sometimes nothing is the most powerful thing you can do. So next time the Avox knocked on my door to call me for dinner, I didn't open it. I let her keep knocking until she finally fell silent and scurried away. A few minutes later, Pepper opened the door.

"Hey, what's wrong? Chowtime," she said. I shook my head.

"Are you sad or something? Because I don't know what to do if you are," she said. I looked out the window.

"Fine. If you get hungry, ring for room service," she said. But I wasn't going to. I read once about something people used to do forever ago. It wouldn't make any sense nowadays. But I was about to bring it back. I'd just started the first hunger strike Panem had seen in decades.

* * *

Chase Strata

"It's almost better. See?" I said to Nubu as I flexed my arm. It wasn't in a cast anymore, just a soft bandage. He flashed me a thumbs up.

The Games were actually good for me. Looking back, I was really sick. If I hadn't gotten Reaped and sent to a real hospital, I would have died. I was still probably going to die, but it was like being on hospice. I got the best stuff in the world for the few days I had left. I loved all the amazing food and the crazy stuff people in the Capitol thought was totally normal. It was the opposite of everything I'd ever known. I wished my mother could be with me. If I did win, I hoped she lived long enough to see it and come with me.

"Are there any lighthouses in the Capitol?" I asked Nubu.

"There aren't any lighthouses in all Panem. There haven't been for ages," he said.

"Oh," I said. I was glad Twelve was so backwards that my mother didn't know that.

"Maybe there are some left," Nubu said thoughtfully. "Come on. Let's look." He swiped his hand and called up the computer screen projected on the wall.

"Search: lighthouse," he said, and the screen blinked. Lines of text and pictures of lighthouses filled the wall. An orange and black one caught my eye.

"What's that one?" I asked. Nubu enlarged it.

"It's still up. It's a museum," he said. He found it on the GPS and I got a bird's eye view of it. I wasn't really there, but it was still wonderful to see it.

"Your mother likes these, right?" Nubu asked.

"Yeah, we always wanted to see one," I said, still enthralled by it. Nubu swiped around a bit and something clinked in the room service chute. He lifted the door and picked it out.

"Here. You can write her a message and I'll give it to her after the Games start," he said. He handed me a little picture of the lighthouse with lines on the back so I could write on it. She was going to love it.


	19. The Chick Magnets

Electra Magneta

It was good to be from Three. I didn't need to crowd in with all the others in the training room. I got everything I needed in Acee's room. Nobody else would see me learning, and nobody would know what I could do.

"Take a look at this," Acee said, and she pointed out the elephant in the room. It was a metal rod with a sphere on the end of it. It was humming, and I could feel the energy coming off of it.

"Electricity is alive. It is a force more powerful and dangerous than anything except one thing. That thing is you. Only a man- a woman, in our case- can bend the very underlying forces of the universe for our own ends. Electricity can warp metal or set a city ablaze. And you can make it your own," she said. She tossed a tissue into the air above the sphere. As soon as it brushed the metal, it jerked back like a ghost had yanked it and erupted into flames. Then she put her hand on the metal.

"Gah!" I yelped. I jumped back and my heart stopped. But Acee didn't burst into flames or go into spasms. Her hair puffed up like a dandelion, but that was it.

"Electricity can warp metal. It can't go through rubber," she said with a smile. I noticed she wasn't wearing the elaborate heeled shoes most Capitolites favored. Hers were simple flats. I hadn't noticed how thick they were. Acee let go of the metal and pushed a smaller rod against the sphere. The energy in the air dissipated.

"Electricity won me my Games. That and a bomb," she said.

"What if there aren't any wires in the Games?" I asked.

"There's always something. If things had been different, I might have made a projectile launcher or an acid rain. Don't make a plan and search out the supplies. Search out the supplies and from them make the plan," Acee said.

"Like, for example, what would you use if electricity was the best bet?" I asked. Acee looked around the room.

"The cameras are on, but they're not listening unless we start talking about the Capitol. When I was in the Arena, the girls had bras, even the flatter ones like me. _Underwire_ bras," Acee said.

"What about for an energy source? The Arena will probably be outside," I said.

"Citrus fruits conduct electricity. So do potatoes," Acee said.

"What if... theoretically... I didn't know much about making circuits and stuff?" I asked.

"Then you've come to the right place," Acee said.

* * *

Desiree Redwood

Electra kept bugging me to train. I already knew how to throw and axe and all that. Plus I was a _giant._ I couldn't improve my admittedly slim chances with a few swipes of a sword. I wanted to go out and see what the Capitol had to offer. I finally managed to convince her to come along by saying we could stop at the science museum a few buildings away. We were almost out the door when Bubbles showed up.

"Where are you two off to?" she asked pleasantly.

"Nowhere," I said. Unfortunately, Bubbles picked that exact minute to grow a brain cell. She gasped in delight and secretively narrowed her eyes.

"You two are _sneaking out,"_ she said.

"Of _course_ not. The guards would never let us leave," Desiree said. The pair of Peacekeepers by the door _did_ seem rather imposing. It was silly to think we could get past them.

"Ooh! Can I come?" Bubbles squeaked. She lowered her voice like she had a saucy secret. "They won't question you if _I'm_ there."

 _Yeah, no one would question your responsibility,_ I thought. "Go crazy," I said. But it was too late for that. Bubbles was off like a shot.

"Heee _llo,_ boys!" she purred at the Peacekeepers like a fangirl who had just seen Panem's hottest stars. "I'm _so_ happy to see you keeping us all safe!"

As she buttered up the Peacekeepers, Desiree and I slipped past and out of the building. Bubbles followed soon after, blowing a kiss over her shoulder at the two smitten Peacekeepers. She was good for something after all.

We would never have been daring enough to go farther than a few buildings, so we went straight to the science museum. Electra had swiped two hooded shirts from her closet, and we kept the hoods up so we wouldn't get busted. It was hardly necessary since, as might be expected, the Capitol science museum was deserted. Again, it was all going fine until Bubbles butted in.

"Ooh, it's Pray and Ava! Hi, girls!" she said. Electra and I desperately shushed her, but there was no shushing Bubbles. Pray saw her and did a double take in confusion.

"What on Earth are you- _you,"_ she said when she saw us. She stalked over with Ava following close behind.

"What the hell are you doing? If anyone sees you here we'll all get Avoxed. Well, the rest of us will. You two will get executed," she hissed. She kept up that line of conversation, but I lost her after the first few words. I was distracted by something much more interesting and much sexier: Ava.

I'd seen Ava on TV, of course, but she was ever so much more stunning in person. I didn't remember her being so flawless, and I suspected the Capitol had tampered with her. It was a pity, since she was perfect before. She caught me peeking and I looked away innocently.

We didn't get to see much of the science museum, since Pray shooed us out pretty quick. Luckily we were already a few rooms in when we met her in the armor exhibit. Ever more luckily, the best exhibit was standing right next to her.

We realized our folly on our way to sneak back into the Games Center. Electra and I glanced at each other as we made the connection at the same time.

"We should, uh, probably not tell anyone we did this," Electra said.

"Of _course._ It's a _secret._ Oh, I love secrets!" Bubbles said. It was hardly reassuring. There were many, many things Bubbles didn't know. Among them, almost certainly, was how _not_ to talk.

* * *

 **Maybe it's not so realistic that Des and Electra could sneak out of the Games Center. But their submitter sent it in and I usually go with it. It's earlier in the Games and someone has to be the one to make a need for new rules, like that kid who threw himself off the roof. It sounded funny, so I bent realism.**


	20. Three's a Crowd

**1\. I keep forgetting Zinnia's from Ten because she was originally for Eleven and I forgot to adjust the form.**

 **2\. Yeah, Peacekeepers can't have families. I keep forgetting that too.**

 **3\. Kerry's has more lines because it's mostly dialogue.**

* * *

Kerry Selmosa

All the Tributes had to take a basic medical exam, but I seemed to be spending more time with the headshrinker than most of us. He'd been droning on for ages.

"Do you often have difficulty with problems that require a lot of concentration?" the man asked. It was hard to concentrate when he had glittery purple eyes and white hair with gold tips.

"What's that even supposed to mean? Yeah, I don't like sitting in school all day, but nobody does," I said.

"Would you say it's mild, moderate, or severe difficulty?" the man pressed on.

"What's moderate and what's severe?" I asked.

"Moderate means you are able to partake in society without difficulty. Severe means the limitations are major," the man said. It didn't help.

"Uh, moderate then," I said.

"Do you often make careless mistakes?" the man asked. _Like I'd tell you. No one wants to sponsor a klutz._

"Just normal, you know?" I said.

"Do you have trouble keeping your attention on tasks?" the man asked.

"If they're boring," I said.

"Do you get impatient when reading instructions?" the man asked.

"I'd rather just get started and figure it out myself," I said.

"Are you an organized person?" the man asked.

"Not really. Actions speak louder than words," I said.

"Do you enjoy mostly active hobbies? Exercising, perhaps?" he asked.

"Yeah, I love that kind of stuff. I like rock climbing," I said.

"Do you often lose things?" the man asked.

"Not my rock climbing stuff, but other than that I'm a scatterbrain," I said.

"Hmm," the man said. He leafed through a book and looked at the notes on his pad. He set the pad down and looked back at me.

"Usually I'd need more time for this, but we don't have much. You have attention deficit disorder. It's not usually a big deal, and obviously it hasn't slowed you down," the doctor said.

"Wait, I'm nuts?" I asked. I had no idea.

"No, you just think differently than most people. You prefer to act instead of wait around, and you get bored easily. If you were staying around I'd suggest medication to help you concentrate in school, but it would take too long to find the right dose and mix before you went into the Games, and you couldn't bring your pills anyway. I'll make a note in your file, and that's all we need to do," he said.

After that, I finally got to go. So apparently I was nuts. Maybe everyone else just spends too much time overthinking things. Like he said, it didn't slow me down.

* * *

Hoban Tam

Ventrix and I decided to let Kerry onto our team. He was a man of action, and he wouldn't freeze up when the gong went off. He still wasn't back from his medical exam, and Ventrix and I were training while we waited.

I knew it would be easier to kill someone from far off. That's why I ended up at the archery station. I wasn't very good at it, but I only had to be good enough to scare someone off.

Before long I moved to the survival station. I'd seen enough of the Games to know the greatest danger came from Panem itself: from hunger, or cold, or lack of water. The Careers usually forgot that, though they'd been getting smarter lately. Wilderness survival was our best hope against them.

The survival assistant was happy to see me, like he didn't get many visitors.

"Can you show me how to find water?" I asked.

"You bet," the man said. The first thing he showed me was how to make a solar still. I'd always wondered why so many Cornucopias had sheets of plastic in them. No one ever went for them, but this year would be different. He showed me how to use bags to catch the transpiration from tree branches and which plants had the highest percentage of water in their stems.

"What if there's water, but I don't know if it's pure?" I asked.

"Find the fastest moving water you can. Stagnant water has the most bacteria. People disagree about whether or not to drink undistilled water. It's really a matter of judgment. If you think the Games will be over in less than about a week, go for it. Weigh the short-term gain in strength against the long-term possibility of dysentery and parasites," the man said.

When I was done, I looked over at Ventrix as she trained. She was at the knife station using a dagger. I didn't know if she'd be able to use it, but I had a horrible feeling she might. I didn't think she was going to go crazy and start massacring everyone. I knew her better than that, but I also knew empathy was hard for her. She wasn't evil. She just had a hard time connecting with anyone.

We used to love watching birds back home. I always shuddered when a hawk snatched a songbird out of the air. She used to cheer it on. She didn't thirst for violence. She just looked at it like part of nature. Hawks had to eat, and nature didn't have pity.

I didn't know what would happen in the Arena. Ventrix wouldn't hurt me. I'd trust her with everything. She wouldn't hurt anyone she didn't have to. But I knew she wasn't thinking the same things I was as I reluctantly drew back arrows. I didn't know what I'd see in the Arena, and it scared me.

* * *

Ventrix Webb

I knew Hoban like I knew myself. I didn't know anything about Kerry. I saw him and Hoban chatting and laughing as we all trained together. They seemed to have made friends just like that. It was obvious Kerry liked Hoban, but I wasn't sure he felt the same about me. He was polite and included me in the conversation, but he might have been doing it just for Hoban's sake.

I felt agitated all day long, like there was a feeling in me I couldn't identify, like a gnat that flew around my head and buzzed in my ear but never went where I could see it. Later, when I was alone in my room, I had more time to think.

I'd never felt so many things at once. I'd seen the way Hoban looked at me when I was training. He was afraid. What was he afraid of? Afraid he'd lose me, or afraid we'd be the last two left? I often felt cold inside, and it had never been easy for me to connect to people. Hoban was my best friend in the world, but I couldn't imagine dying. I didn't know what I'd do if we were last. I'd seen Games where people sacrificed themselves like it was no big deal. I knew I couldn't do that. I couldn't kill Hoban, but I couldn't die for him either. I hoped he felt the same. I didn't want anyone to die for me. Hoban was better than me in a lot of ways. A lot more people would miss him. He cared about people. He'd make Panem a better place. Me, I'd just live my life.

I hated it when Hoban wasn't happy. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what he was scared of and what else he might be hiding so I wouldn't worry. I paced my room restlessly and kicked the walls in agitation. Should I say something? I might make things worse. People were so complex. I hesitated when it came to intimacy because I didn't know what I was getting into.

There were some things I understood. Humor came easy to me. Jokes wrote themselves for me as fast as I could say them. I knew people liked to laugh and I could tell a real smile from a fake one. I understood anger and I knew when someone was scared. It was the complex things that tripped me up. Things like disdain, altruism, trepidation, and politeness. Words that didn't refer to a spectrum of emotions, but one feeling in particular. I knew Hoban was friends with me, but I didn't know what mix of feelings connected him to me. With other people, I was always afraid I'd upset that balance. It took me a long time to know Hoban wouldn't leave me.

In a few days, I wouldn't be worried about relationships and morality. All my time would be taken up with survival. If we were the last two, I suspected we'd let the Gamemakers sort it out. Either way, I was going to lose my only friend.


	21. Loners

**It was Granja Angelo met in the library. I specifically didn't use Inky because I wanted to show she wasn't just one facet. She likes to read, but she doesn't do it every minute.**

* * *

Demarcus POV

None of them wanted me. I asked the pair from Eleven if I could join their alliance. They looked at me like they were afraid. They didn't want the thug from Three. Neither did the alliance of younger Tributes. I'd never ask the Careers. They'd slit my throat as soon as I closed my eyes.

I didn't need any of them either. This wasn't the place to make friends. I'd kill any of them I had to. There was nothing immoral about surviving.

I spent my training time at the martial arts station. I knew how to fight, but there was always more to learn. I asked the assistant to train me in improvising and making use of what I had. I knew it was good to stay away from my opponent. Back home, I'd used pipes and street trash. In the Arena I'd more likely use a stick.

I took a break and peeked at what the other Tributes were doing. There weren't any knife throwers this year, just one Career that threw stars. The handicapped kid from Nine was at the paint station. He waved at me, and I waved back out of reflex. He wasn't about to bully anyone. This wasn't the start of a sappy friendship, but there was no reason to be a jerk.

"Hey, what you making there?" I asked him. He was finger painting on a wide sheet of paper.

"Square," he said, pointing at a shape he'd made.

"It sure is," I said.

"Yes. Very good!" he said in a singsong voice.

"That one's a circle," I said, and I pointed at another.

"Yes. Very good!" Diggory said.

Sometimes you just do something silly. I stuck my finger in some green paint and drew a triangle.

"Triangle," Diggory said.

"Yes. Very good!" I said. I left him painting and went back to fighting.

The Hunger Games was no place for cutesy friendships. That wasn't me. I wanted to live. I'd kill anyone I had to. Except for one.

* * *

Ash Black

I always thought failure was for the weak. I saw people who gave up in the Games and faded away and I hated them. You had to fight. Nothing in life was easy. Only one thing could have made me give up.

Maybe I could make a deal. I'd die in the Games and they could come back. I'd ally with someone, like that brain damaged kid, and if he won I'd earn my family back. I'd be a good citizen, if that was what it took. I'd start a revolt if that was better.

Yesterday I'd trained like I was possessed. I swung a flail with more rage than precision. I didn't care if I got good. I wanted to get destructive. I wanted to break everything. I wanted to swing harder and harder and scream. Anger was better than despair.

I'd lost everything overnight. The other Tributes had parents that kissed them goodbye and fought as they were dragged away. I'd never have that again. I'd never hear Peach singing her little made up songs or smell my mother's fresh pancakes. Even if I won, it was all gone.

I wanted something to blame, and I knew what it was. The murderer was already gone, but he couldn't have done it without the power the Capitol gave him. If I thought it would hurt the Capitol, I would have attacked the attendant at the flail station. Tributes never did because they were afraid of what would happen to their families or their Districts. I didn't have a family, and I hurt so much I'd forgotten my District.

I couldn't sleep when night came. My chest felt thick and clogged. I took a vase from my nightstand and threw it at the window. The window was shatterproof, but the vase disintegrated. I started to throw anything I could move. I broke a leg from the nightstand and didn't stop smashing until the room was in ruins.

When there was nothing left, I knelt in the debris. I remembered my mother chiding me when my room was messy. I always got annoyed because it was my room and why did she even care? I put my hands over my ears.

 _I'll be good. I'll save someone. I'll kill someone. Anything. Please let them come back._

* * *

Blaise Wesley

The axes here were a lot heavier. I had to learn to use them all over again. In the Arena, the targets would be moving. Of course, they'd also be _alive._ That would make it harder.

It was scary being in the same room as the Careers. They were so... intent. They wielded their weapons like it was all they knew, and it was. They didn't have to train. They did it to show us what was coming.

There were some big alliances this year. I could have fit into the one with all the younger Tributes. If they asked me, I'd think about it. I didn't really need them. Being in such a big group might make it harder to hide anyway. I could take care of myself.

I thought about what I'd do when I won. I wanted to stay positive, so I made it a "when". I didn't have a special story. No girlfriend waiting for me at home. No orphanage full of kids who needed me to bring back money for them. I was a normal kid. If I won, I'd do normal things. I'd buy a ton of candy and invite all my friends over to my new house. I'd sleep easy knowing I'd never get Reaped again. That would be the best part.

I was getting better with the axes. It was going to be gross using them for real, but you do what you have to do. We all know it's just about surviving. I kept throwing until my arms hurt. The longer axes were unwieldy. If I tried to hack someone apart with those, they'd have to stand still. More likely I'd wound them with one hit and then run.

Eight's Tributes were pretty unassuming this year. Granja was friendly, but I'd barely seen her since we got here. I didn't think she'd last very long. She was too nice. Sometimes District partners worked together, but that wasn't my plan. I had to get all the way to the top. Granja wasn't stupid or anything, but I didn't think she could help me. I could do it by myself.

* * *

Peach Unk

I'd had all the training I could take. I slipped out of the training room and back to my own room. I was itching to do some mischief, and I looked around for supplies. The stylists had left behind a few things from when they last busted in to fuss with me. I saw a rubber glove and some hair oil and it all came together.

The inside of the Games Building looked something like the shopping mall Arena from all those years ago. Some of the floors had balconies that looked down on the lower floors. I could peek over and see all the rich fancypants Capitolites milling around, trying to catch a glimpse of a Tribute or partaking in glamorous activities. It was a wonder there were no nets, since the drop could have been enough to kill me.

My shirt was stretched tight over what could have been a beer belly but was actually my secret weapon. I took out a jury-rigged glove balloon filled with oil and tried to pick out a target. I didn't want to spatter a kid for no reason, so anyone tugging along offspring was spared. I saw a lone man walk into my line of fire and dropped my payload.

The oil balloon hit him right on top of his head and burst like a bomb. Thick yellow hair oil splashed all over the man's face. He yelled and clapped his hands to his head. I cackled as he started running around in circles and flapping his arms as people stared.

"Sea gulls! Get under!" he yelled. He dove underneath a bench and I stopped laughing.

 _Ohhhhh..._ That wasn't a Capitolite. That was Toby. He had pretty good reason to not like seagulls. I looked around to see if anyone had witnessed my inadvertent terrorism and slunk away. I hoped he was high enough to forget about it soon. Just my luck to hit the one innocent person in the Capitol.

* * *

Granja Valdez

One thing was for sure. I'd die on my own. I was good at listening and making friends. I wasn't good at swinging swords and eating dirt. I practiced cobbling together traps as I went through the possibilities.

Obviously not the Careers. They'd laugh me out of the training room. The two from Eleven were already close. I'd be a third wheel. My best bet was one of the loners or the young alliance. I wondered why Quiola hadn't asked me yet. She was asking just about everyone else. If that didn't come through, I might ask the scary boy from Three. He didn't seem as scary as he looked.

Chimera kept trying to set me up with Diggory. I was nice, but not that nice. He was dead weight. No one wanted to be the one to do it, but it was going to happen. I didn't want to get dragged down with him. We were all hoping the Gamemakers would do us a favor and strike him with lightning as soon as the gong rang.

The library was a hopping place. The boy from Four scared me half to death the last time I went. When I ventured back to see if I could find a book on trap-making, I ran into the girl from Eight.

"Oh, hi. You're Incense, right?" I asked. She didn't seem mad, so I stayed in the room.

"People call me Inky," she said.

"I'm Granja. That's what people call me," I said. I noticed she was reading a fiction book. "You came here for fun?"  
"I'm not going to get much better in two days. There are so many books here I couldn't resist," she said.

"Yeah, we might as well enjoy everything that's here. Most of us aren't coming back," I said. The atmosphere palled around us.

"Your alliance looks really strong," I said.

"Thanks. Quiola made it," she said. I wanted to ask if I could join, but she didn't seem like the leader. I didn't want to put her on the spot.

"She seems friendly," I said. "Did you ask that boy from Eight?"

"Quiola thinks he's going to die in the Bloodbath," Inky said.

"He's pretty confident," I said. It felt like I was back home gossiping between classes. It was nice to feel normal.

I didn't talk much longer. Inky wanted to read her book, even if she didn't mind talking. I took a book about traps and left. Maybe something would come of our encounter. I'd wait and see.

* * *

Diggory

Want Kasha. Not home. Big. Big house. House big clouds.

Colors. Shapes. Boy me color. Boy brown. Yes! That's right! Kasha me shapes Kasha say yes that's right. See cards cards say names yes that's right. Diggory speak lots names. More names. More names good.

Blue man names? Lots things Diggory no name. Blue man Diggory name.

"What is it, Diggory? That? That's a shower."

"What shower?"

"Here, you turn it on like this."

Water! Hot. Rain?

"You can make it different colors. Just turn this."

Water... colors?! Pretty. Pretty. Want Kasha here colors. Kasha smile.

More names!

"Careful, these wrinkle! All right, I'm coming!"

"Name!"

"That's just a fern. Hold on!"

"Name!"

"It's a railing."

"Name!"

"Fountain."

"Name!"

"I don't know her name."

Big. Things things things. Noises colors people.

"Name!"

" _That_ one's pretty fascinating. It's a pneumatic pipe. You send things up it, like mail. Usually we use them for room service."

"What is?"

"Put your hand here."

Blow! Blow hand. Pipe is blow hand. Why?

Point blue man.

"Name!"

"Chimera."

"Chimera blue."

"It's my favorite color. What's yours?"

?

"What's Diggory's favorite color?"

"Diggory."

"Yeah, that's you. Uh... Chimera love blue. Diggory love?"

"Diggory love yellow blue orange _not_ red."

Things! Things things things run see things.

"Name!"

* * *

Titus Gein

I didn't want to die. Why did this happen to me? I had a normal life in Six. I didn't hurt anybody. I didn't rebel. That was ages ago. This had been going on for ages and it wasn't our fault.

It had been going on for ages. I'd watched it every year. We all watched two children leave every year. They always died, except twice. We watched them go and we cried and we all thought "I'm glad it wasn't me." The most I ever thought about those other kids was how grateful I was that they filled my place. They never did anything either. I never cared about that. I only cared when it was me on the line.

 _It's not fair,_ I thought when my name rang out. It wasn't fair all those other times either. _I shouldn't have to die._ Nobody should. I should have cared about them the same way. I was selfish. People were dying and I only cared about what it meant for me. I never mourned any of them. I never said it, but every year I was happy they died. It meant I didn't.

I didn't mourn for them. Nobody was going to mourn for me. This year _I_ was the sacrifice, the one that filled _their_ place. They'd watch me fight and wait for me to die like all the others.

Everyone was the hero in their own eyes. We all saw everyone else as the people that helped us and mattered in relation to us. If they died, we went on. The hero's life couldn't stop because part of it went missing.

I had a normal life. I didn't hurt anybody. I thought that made me a good person, but it didn't. It made me not a bad person. I didn't deserve praise for not killing anyone. I didn't care about them either. I saw them as bodies I could throw under the bus so I wouldn't get hurt. So many people had died. I'd never thought about them until now. They were all me. I should have cared about them before they were me. For the next few days, I'd mourn them. Then I'd take my place among them.

* * *

 **These are currently loners, but Granja, Ash, Blaise and Demarcus are interested in allying. Peach's form calls for her to give in when a younger female Tribute keeps pestering her to ally. Titus can ally if anyone wants him XD Same goes for Diggory. Electra and Desiree are interesting in allying with Granja, but she's also right up Peach's form if that's what she wants.**


	22. Private Session Report

**tracelyn was right. Granja is from Nine, not Eight. I always mix those two up because they're so boring. For no good reason I conflated Addie and Quiola as well.**

* * *

ATTN: HEAD GAMEMAKER TITIAN QIN

PRIVATE SESSIONS REPORTS

TOP PRIORITY! CODE PINK

* * *

DISTRICT ONE MALE

NAME: HIYAS TONTO

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: MACE, THROWING KNIVES

SKILLS ASSESSED: Hiyas was proficient with the mace, but he excelled with the knives. He hit all his targets with minimal effort.

STRENGTHS: Weapons skills, lack of empathy. His charm and good looks will gain him sponsors.

WEAKNESSES: Hiyas is overconfident, especially in regard to his looks. He believes he has gained the loyalty of the female Careers. He will not.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: No significant impairments. The usual narcissism and cruelty expected of Careers.

ODDS: 20:1

NOTES: Look, I _said_ good looks but I didn't mean it.

* * *

DISTRICT ONE FEMALE

NAME: KARYSSA EVANS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: SWORD, SPEAR, SHRUIKEN

SKILLS ASSESSED: Karyssa focused on the short-term weapons, though her skills with the throwing stars were respectable. Her style was minimalist and her strikes were focused on shortening death.

STRENGTHS: Weapons skill, general training. Karyssa mentioned she was trained in tracking, which is difficult to assess. Her genial nature will attract sponsors.

WEAKNESSES: If the muttations this year are cute, Karyssa will likely approach them.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing.

ODDS: 18:1

NOTES: I'd sponsor you.

* * *

DISTRICT TWO MALE

NAME: THEO KASIUS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT, AXE, SWORD, PLANTS, CLIMBING

SKILLS ASSESSED: Theo's combat style was uniquely developed by him. It was aggressive and antagonistic. He held his weapons backward, which did not impair him.

STRENGTHS: Theo was very enthusiastic. He wanted to show off everything he'd learned. He enjoys fighting but is not overly obsessed with killing.

WEAKNESSES: Some of Theo's skills were underdeveloped. His plants skills were mediocre and he was visibly scared on the ropes course.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Theo is well-balanced for a Career.

ODDS: 17:1

NOTES: I dunno, I'm not feeling it.

* * *

DISTRICT TWO FEMALE

NAME: VALERIE LENN

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: SWORD, DAGGER

SKILLS ASSESSED: Valerie was highly skilled with the sword. She was skilled with the dagger but preferred the sword.

STRENGTHS: Weapons skills, sociable personality that will attract sponsors.

WEAKNESSES: She exhibited recklessness with her sparring partner. She is allergic to bees.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing.

ODDS: 18:1

NOTES: You got the skills. I assume you'll do well.

* * *

DISTRICT THREE MALE

NAME: DEMARCUS DeMARCOS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

SKILLS ASSESSED: Demarcus' street fighting style was obviously deeply ingrained. Nothing is too dirty and there are no rules for him.

STRENGTHS: Pragmatism, ally that is attractive to sponsors, street smarts.

WEAKNESSES: Demarcus is not attractive to sponsors. He considers everyone his enemy and will react aggressively in all encounters. He may be a target due to his lack of conventional Three skills.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Demarcus has deep-seated and significant anger due to years of bullying. He resents much of his childhood and feels inadequate due to his lack of friends.

ODDS: 23:1

NOTES: Yeesh, why so nasty?

* * *

DISTRICT THREE FEMALE

NAME: ELECTRA MAGNETA

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: ELECTRICITY

SKILLS ASSESSED: Electra has been learning from the best. Her electric work was above my head, but it looked impressive. She was confident and swift.

STRENGTHS: Her alliance is wise, combining technical skills with a formidably framed ally. She is intelligent and resourceful.

WEAKNESSES: Slight frame, lack of experience killing people.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Heavy trauma from years of abuse at mother's hands. Malnutrition has weakened her skeletal system. Slight but insignificant ADD. She suffers from occasional and brief breakdowns stemming from aforementioned abuse.

ODDS: 19:1

NOTES: Ew, that sucks. Why people gotta do that?

* * *

DISTRICT FOUR MALE

NAME: ANGELO TEMPEST

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: PLANT IDENTIFICATION, POISON

SKILLS ASSESSED: Angelo's assessment required specific additions to the session room. Angelo focused on poisons, which are difficult to test safely. With the modifications, he was able to mix his poisons and have them verified via computer. They were highly effective. His knife skills were as expected from a Career.

STRENGTHS: Unexpected poison skills, ability to fly under the radar.

WEAKNESSES: Potential target as "weak link" in Careers, distaste for bullies

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Trauma from bullying is present. Angelo dislikes bullies and may feel guilt when he sees how the other Tributes react to him.

ODDS: 18:1

NOTES: I like the poison ivy thing. Hope it works, cutie.

* * *

DISTRICT FOUR FEMALE

NAME: CAREEN ELLIS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: DOUBLE KNIVES

SKILLS ASSESSED: Careen was nervous and made some missteps early in the fight with her partner. After she found her rhythm, she performed well.

STRENGTHS: Weapons skills, mentor

WEAKNESSES: Nerves, lack of killing drive

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Spotless for a Career.

ODDS: 18:1

NOTES: I know you have more than that.

* * *

DISTRICT FIVE MALE

NAME: KERRY SAMOSA

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: PICK, EDIBLE PLANTS, AGILITY

SKILLS ASSESSED: Kerry knew his way around a pick, but I doubt he's ever used it in a fight. He knew his edible plants and excelled on the agility course.

STRENGTHS: Level head, balance, courage, agility

WEAKNESSES: Recklessness, short attention span

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Testing indicated severe ADHD. If not in the Arena, medication would be advised.

ODDS: 24:1

NOTES: Look, something shiny!

* * *

DISTRICT FIVE FEMALE

NAME: QUIOLA CASSIDY

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: SURVIVAL SKILLS, POISONS (CODE PINK)

SKILLS ASSESSED: Quiola did very well with survival skills such as fire-making. When she switched to poisons, disaster struck. We were all watching carefully, by the way. As an Avox left our chambers and passed through to get a drink, Quiola tossed some powder into the Avox's drink. The Avox took a sip and began to vomit blood. Before the medic could reach him, he died. Quiola, who had been frantically trying to revive the Avox, fled the room in tears.

STRENGTHS: Well, she gets the job done, don't she?

WEAKNESSES: She does not enjoy killing.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing from the formal testing, but obvious severe trauma from the incident.

ODDS: 30:1

NOTES: I wish I hadn't seen that.

* * *

DISTRICT SIX MALE

NAME: TITUS GEIN

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: EDIBLE PLANTS, RUNNING

SKILLS ASSESSED: Titus performed well with the edible plants. He ran with urgency.

STRENGTHS: He won't attract undue attention from the Careers. He is focused on survival, not killing, which is the best strategy for him.

WEAKNESSES: He's a coward.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing significant.

ODDS: 25:1

NOTES: You look like you're already seeing your own ghost.

* * *

DISTRICT SIX FEMALE

NAME: ADONIA CHILD

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: DAGGER

SKILLS ASSESSED: What you'd expect from a little girl trying to learn a dagger in three days.

STRENGTHS: Attractiveness to sponsors, optimism, alliance

WEAKNESSES: General lack of training.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing.

ODDS: 32:1

NOTES: You're a cutie pie.

* * *

DISTRICT SEVEN MALE

NAME: ASH BLACK

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: FLAIL, DAGGER, EDIBLE PLANTS

SKILLS ASSESSED: Ash's skills with the dagger and plants were above average. When he picked up the flail, he unleashed such a torrent of violent rage that the sparring partner was blown away.

STRENGTHS: Rage, determination

WEAKNESSES: Rage, unattractiveness to sponsors

PSYCHOLIGICAL PROFILE: Ash is intensely vengeful, as evidenced by the murder he committed. He is still mourning his family and is under even more emotional duress than most Tributes.

ODDS: 24:1

NOTES: Yowch.

* * *

DISTRICT SEVEN FEMALE

NAME: DESIREE REDWOOD

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: AXE, HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

SKILLS ASSESSED: Desiree's skills were enhanced by her prodigious strength. She towered over her sparring partner.

STRENGTHS: Physical frame, attractiveness to sponsors, alliance

WEAKNESSES: She's not a killer at heart.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing.

ODDS: 19:1

NOTES: I wish I could have known you. You seem nice.

* * *

DISTRICT EIGHT MALE

NAME: BLAISE WESLEY

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: AXE

SKILLS ASSESSED: Blaise was all right. Not as good as he thought. Not terrible.

STRENGTHS: The "buddy" factor of his alliance will please sponsors. He won't be the Careers' primary target.

WEAKNESSES: General lack of training, young age, small frame.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing.

ODDS: 40:1

NOTES: It's not fun to watch someone like you die.

* * *

DISTRICT EIGHT FEMALE

NAME: INCENSE BALBOA

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: TRAPS, SURVIVAL

SKILLS ASSESSED: Incense knew her traps. She demonstrated ability to build a fire and to construct a shelter.

STRENGTHS: Alliance, quiet nature, cute factor for sponsors

WEAKNESSES: Overly fastidious, lack of weapons skills, easy target

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Testing confirmed moderate OCD. This will affect her in the Arena.

ODDS: 36:1

NOTES: Twenty-five letters. You happy?

* * *

DISTRICT NINE MALE

NAME: DIGGORY DOE

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: NONE

SKILLS ASSESSED: Diggory was shown to the room by an Avox. He waved at us pleasantly. He wandered the room and settled at the plants station. He rustled through the plants and tossed a few leaves in the air. When he noticed the table of knives and weapons, he said "Yuck" and covered the table with the canvas provided for constructing shelters.

STRENGTHS: None

WEAKNESSES: All

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: See attached 156-page case file

ODDS: Infinity: 1

NOTES: This isn't Panem's proudest moment.

* * *

DISTRICT NINE FEMALE

NAME: GRANJA VALDEZ  
SKILLS ASSESSED: KNIFE, EDIBLE PLANTS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: Granja is not a Career, but she knew how to use the knife. She knows enough plants to feed herself in a verdant Arena.

STRENGTHS: Unassuming nature, ability to forage

WEAKNESSES: Small frame, friendly nature

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Granja is the most well-adjusted of the Tributes this year.

ODDS: 40:1

NOTES: What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?

* * *

DISTRICT TEN MALE

NAME: RORY HARRIS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: WEIGHT LIFTING, KNOT TYING

SKILLS ASSESSED: Rory is well-proportioned and muscular from his work on the farm. He is good at tying knots.

STRENGTHS: Friendliness will attract sponsors. Large frame.

WEAKNESSES: Visible frame, friendliness

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Dyslexia and dyscalculia unlikely to affect the Games.

ODDS: 24:1

NOTES: Farm boy should have stayed home.

* * *

DISTRICT TEN FEMALE

NAME: ZINNIA FRASER

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: NONE

SKILLS ASSESSED: Zinnia arrived in the training room and sat down. When questioned on why she had not eaten in days, she said she'd eat when we gave her some of our food. We did not.

STRENGTHS: Stubbornness?

WEAKNESSES: She ain't gonna please Snow.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Oppositional Defiance Disorder, apparently.

ODDS: 48:1

NOTES: Y'all won't be eating forever you keep this up.

* * *

DISTRICT ELEVEN MALE

NAME: HOBAN TAM

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: ARCHERY, WATER FINDING

SKILLS ASSESSED: After demonstrating mediocre archery skills, Hoban switched tactics. He recited a short lesson on how to find healthy water in the wilderness.

STRENGTHS: Originality, loyal alliance

WEAKNESSES: He's not a killer at heart. He's not that good with a bow.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Hoban is well-adjusted.

ODDS: 26:1

NOTES: You're a nice guy.

* * *

DISTRICT ELEVEN FEMALE

NAME: VENTRIX WEBB

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: CLIMBING, FORAGING

SKILLS ASSESSED: Nothing to write home about. Ventrix can climb a tree and pick plants. Stop the presses.

STRENGTHS: Loyal alliance, survival instincts

WEAKNESSES: Unlikely to attract sponsors

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Ventrix has unusually low empathy and she is insecure. She exhibits antisocial behaviors. She will not hesitate to kill.

ODDS: 20:1

NOTES: Better not stab that sweetie in the back.

* * *

DISTRICT TWELVE MALE

NAME: CHASE STRATA

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: FIREMAKING, SHELTERS, CAMOUFLAGE

SKILLS ASSESSED: I dunno. What you'd expect from a twelve-year-old

STRENGTHS: He's really optimistic and will attract sponsors.

WEAKNESSES: Young age, small frame, lack of weapons skills

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Chase is especially resilient.

ODDS: 45:1

NOTES: Your mother would be proud.

* * *

DISTRICT TWELVE FEMALE

NAME: PEACH UNK

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: PITCHFORK

SKILLS ASSESSED: Peach was aggressive but inexpert with her pitchfork.

STRENGTHS: Aggression, confidence

WEAKNESSES: Aggression, confidence

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Peach is aggressive and wary toward authority.

ODDS: 30:1

NOTES: Cool it, girl.


	23. Scores

HIYAS TONTO: 10

KARYSSA EVANS: 9

THEO KASIUS: 9

VALERIE LENN: 9

DEMARCUS DeMARCOS: 8

ELECTRA MAGNETA: 8

ANGELO TEMPEST: 8

CAREEN ELLIS: 7

KERRY SELMOSA: 7

QUIOLA CASSIDY: 10

TITUS GEIN: 5

ADONIA CHILD: 5

ASH BLACK: 7

DESIREE REDWOOD: 9

BLAISE WESLEY: 5

INCENSE BALBOA: 6

DIGGORY: 0

GRANJA VALDEZ: 5

RORY HARRIS: 6

ZINNIA FRASER: 0

HOBAN TAM: 5

VENTRIX WEBB: 6

CHASE STRATA: 4

PEACH UNK: 8

* * *

Hiyas: _Damn straight._

Karyssa: _He's going to be insufferable._

Theo: _Yup._

Valerie: _He's not the best of us._

Demarcus: _They liked me?_

Electra: _Acee's the best._

Angelo: _Good, not too high._

Careen: _This is so embarrassing._

Kerry: _I did good!_

Titus: _So many people better than me. I'm already dead._

Adonia: _Uh-oh._

Ash: _I don't care._

Desiree: _But Electra's way smarter than me!_

Blaise: _Hey man, I swiped things! I swung axes!_

Incense: _Six is higher but I like five better._

Diggory: _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Yes! That's right!_

Granja: _I'm the champion of Nine._

Rory: _The shrimps did better than me._

Zinnia: _Doggonit Diggory, you're making me look good!_

Hoban: _Yeah, she has a better chance._

Ventrix: _I didn't want to do better than Hoban._

Chase: _It's okay, now no one will target me!_

Peach: _I did better than that! Okay... no I didn't._

* * *

 **Quiola didn't look at her score, since she's still crying into her pillow.**


	24. Interviews

**Quiola's score was actually my idea, not the submitter's. The Gamemakers debated and decided that she _was_ the most effective at showing she could kill someone. Also, they're really mad at her for upsetting them by killing an Avox in front of them and they want her to be a target, so they wildly inflated her score.**

* * *

Harlequin Marceau

Some years I just didn't feel it. The Tributes started to blur together and they seemed like more faces in the crowd. But once I started getting into the interviews I always started to get into it. When the music played and the lights converged on me, I put on my perky interviewer face to fake it till I made it.

"Here's our first Tribute, Karyssa Evans! We're starting off with a bang," I said as Karyssa sat down.

"Thank you. I fully intend to remain the first," Karyssa said, and I didn't doubt she could.

"It's wonderful to have you here today," I said to Hiyas.

"Thank you. You look very lovely today," Hiyas said. What a gentleman.

"I'm pretty much the head Career," Valerie informed me. She said it with such confidence it didn't matter whether the others knew it or not.

I always did love mischief. "So, who's the leader of the Careers?" I asked Theo.

"No one really stand out," he said.

"Oh? Valerie said she was," I said innocently.

"Really?" Theo asked with one raised eyebrow.

"I hear you made quite an impression on the Gamemakers," I said to Electra. I could tell she was older than her rumpled hair and kitten flats were designed to make her look.

"Oh, I don't know. A lot of people here are so much bigger than me. I'll just do my best," I said. I'm sure the crowd bought it, but I work here. You don't get that score with electronics by being a cute little darling.

"What's your strategy for the Games? Unless you can't tell," I said to Demarcus.

"I've been fighting all my life. Everyone who's crossed me so far has regretted it," he said. I didn't doubt it.

"What brings a guy like you into the Games?" I asked Angelo. His lips went tight and there was a second of dreaded dead air. Oops. I asked the wrong question.

"I'm happy for this opportunity to bring glory to my District and prove my strength," he said at last. What a lovely sound bite.

"I know I'll be a target, but when they come for me, I'll just kill them first," Careen said.

"Sounds dangerous," I said. I was more interested in her gorgeous pastel gown and ethereal pearl jewelry.

"I laugh in the face of danger," she said. Is that still a cliché, or is it _so_ cliché it's not a cliché?

 _Great, now cliché doesn't seem like a word. Cliche. Cliche. Cli-che._

Quiola seemed like a pleasant, bubbly girl. Then I ruined everything.

"How did you get that amazing score?"

"Thanks for having me," Kerry said. "I'm really excited to be here. In the Capitol, but also for the Games. I mean, I'm still scared, but this is going to be a huge adventure." He did all my work for me.

"You don't have to go any farther. You're already talking to the Victor," Adonia said. "I'm smart, I'm confident, and I'm going to win." _Well more power to you._

"How have you been preparing for the Games?" I asked Titus.

"I've done a lot of thinking. This is a funny time to get philosophical, I guess. It's easy to realize how much life is worth when you're about to lose it," he said. _Woah. That was deep. Put that on a fortune cookie or something._

"What's life like back home?" I asked Ash.

"That's not important. What's important is what I'm going to do in the Arena. People are going to wish they hadn't messed with me," he said. I was glad I wasn't going in.

Desiree didn't take the stage so much as stuff it in her pocket and walk off with it. She strutted to the chair and flexed her impressive biceps for the crowd.

"So..." she purred when she was seated. "I didn't happen to notice a ring on that finger."

"Why, you know someone?" I teased back.

"I'm in town for the weekend," she said. The crowd started to cheer. That would probably be a breach of ethics (ha- Hunger Games ethics) but it wouldn't hurt to check the rules.

Incense was staring at the ground as she came onstage, and her steps were oddly high and irregular.

"What was all that?" I asked.

"I don't like stepping on cracks. Then I have to do it three times with each foot. It's a pain," she said. That wasn't going to get her any sponsors, so I segued into her talks with the mentors.

"I know I'll win because I have the coolest ally. Demarcus is _super_ strong and super tough," Blaise said. "I'm scrappy, so we'll be unstoppable." I could see them going pretty far.

"How did you end up allying with Peach?" I asked Granja.

"I knew I wanted someone. It's good to have friends. Peach is cool and she knows how to fight. I learned how to find food, so we'll have everything. I hope we'll have fun together," she said. If the Games was a tea party, she'd win.

I knew this one was going to be difficult. Interviewing Diggory was a formality. He sat in his chair and poked at the rainbow buttons on his suit. Everyone knew it was wrong, even the crowd. It was silent as the grave. I had a wild vision of grabbing him under one arm and dashing into the sunset.

"Name?" Diggory asked.

"Harlequin," I said, and my voice was soft. I'd never lost composure in an interview before, but he did me in. I turned so the camera wouldn't catch my tear.

"Cry," Diggory said. His face fell and he came over and hugged me.

"Be okay," he said.

"I hope all the cows don't miss me," Rory blurted, and the unexpected laugh bolstered my spirits. With that, he ensured everyone would think of him as the bumpkin from Ten. But then, sponsors liked bumpkins.

The only noise Zinnia made was her rumbling stomach. She glared at me until the lights felt a lot hotter and I desperately tried to make asides to the audience to fill dead air. I counted the seconds until the interview was over.

"It was very brave of you to volunteer for your friend," I said to Hoban.

"I didn't want her to be scared. I didn't really think," he admitted. _No duh._

"What did you bring for a token?" I asked Ventrix.

"It just so happens I have it with me. I haven't set it down since I got here," she said as she took a tiny book from a pocket on her dress. "My little brother gave me this. It'll make the Games _bearable."_ Oh ha ha ha.

"How do you like the Capitol?" I asked Chase.

"Nubu showed me a lighthouse! It was so cool!" Chase said. "I've wanted to see one _forever."_ That's the Capitol for you. Dreams come true.

"How did you come to ally with Granja?" I asked Peach in a moment of lovely symmetry.

"She kept bugging me!" Peach's answer was equally lovely.

I was ready when the curtain fell. Actually I was ready long before that. I wanted to connect with the Tributes. I should be more careful what I wish for.


	25. Last Night

**I decided to add some more POVs before the Games. This might or might not indicate a Tribute is going to die in the Bloodbath and I wanted to give them another view before they went. I always mix up the Bloodbaths and non-Bloodbaths so the suspense won't be ruined.**

* * *

Quiola Cassidy

I didn't mean to do it. I just barely dabbled in poisons during training. I didn't think I'd be that good. I thought the Avox would spit out the drink or throw up or something. But he died right in front of me.

I didn't know how he ended up here. Maybe he tried to steal some food for his family, or maybe a Peacekeeper just didn't like him. Whatever happened, he was considered worse than nothing in Panem. His life was spent following orders and trying not to get in trouble. And yet somehow, I managed to make it worse. Thanks to me, he spent his last minutes of life convulsing on the ground as some horrible poison shot through his body like acid. I tried to take it back, but it was too late.

I only had one more day until the Games. I'd seen death, and it was terrible. We'd all seen it on television, but it was real for me now. I wished I could blot it from my mind, but I knew I'd be seeing it over and over tomorrow. It might even come for me, and I couldn't say I didn't deserve it.

Sky would have stayed in my room so I wouldn't be scared, but I couldn't bear to face her. I was already a killer. I wouldn't have slept even if I could have. I knew I'd have horrible dreams if I did. All night long, I shuddered at every noise. I imagined the pale ghost I'd see, carrying a tray of glasses and with poison shining on his lips.

* * *

Valerie Lenn

If I was at home and Jason was here, I'd be worried about him. It was fine to watch him training, but now that I was about to go in, it made me nervous to think about him following me. I'd seen the other Careers going in with me. They were killers. Jason was thirteen. I saw the way the others looked at Tributes his age. If he was here, they would kill him. They didn't see how special and important he was. He'd just be another target.

I was wracked with uncertainty. It was like I had two lives to save or lose. The best way to ensure Jason wouldn't want to bring victory home for our family was to bring it home first for him. He wouldn't have to then. He could find some other way to be famous. But what if I won and he wanted to be just like me? We fought, but he looked up to me. I learned a sword, he learned next. When I first joined the Academy, I bragged every day about how cool it was. Until then, he'd never thought about what he wanted to do when he was grown. I got him into this mess. I had to get him out.

* * *

Diggory

Chimera cry. Harlequin cry.

"Be okay, Chimera."

Chimera cry. Lots cry. Why?

"No cry. See, colors!" Color flowers Chimera smile.

"Thank you, Diggory."

More cry. Go bathroom.

"See? Rainbow water. Happy."

More cry.

"Blue sky. Blue pants. Blue flower. Happy?"

More cry.

"Why Chimera cry?"

"It's nothing."

"Why cry nothing?"

"Diggory, you're... going away soon. I'll miss you."

"Go?"

"Yes, Diggory go. I not go."

"Diggory go where? Home see Kasha?!"

"Yes, see Kasha. First see lots people. Diggory run away. They run to you. Diggory see Kasha."

"Good! Chimera come too see Kasha! No cry, see Kasha!"

Why _still_ cry? Chimera sick?

* * *

Ventrix Webb

I didn't want to be with Hoban the last night. People would think we'd want to huddle together in the same room for our last night, but I was scared. I didn't mean scared of the Arena, but I was scared of that too. I was scared of what was going to happen to me there. Not to my body, but to my soul.

I'd always worried about how indifferent I was to most people. Compassion was what separated people from animals, and it was so hard for me. I knew it was wrong when people suffered, but I couldn't care. Hoban liked me anyway, but he couldn't know all of my heart. In the Arena he was going to see it. I didn't know if he'd still want to be friends with me after that. It would be even worse to watch him die, if that's what happened.

If I died in the Bloodbath, I wanted Hoban to remember me like I was before the Games. I didn't spend my last night alive thinking about my family or the children I might hurt. I was spending it thinking about how to stay alive and which of them I'd have to kill. He might see it in my eyes and know what I was. Better to die with him still my friend.

* * *

 **I'm going to Milwaukee tomorrow with my sisters and I'll be back on Friday. I'll work on the Bloodbath straight away so I don't leave you hanging riiiiiiight before it.**


	26. Into the Tubes

Peridot Clarity

It was good being a One mentor. I never had to deal with whiny Tributes or drama in the tubes. I just oversaw things and waved goodbye to Karyssa.

"Go get them, Tiger."

* * *

Ava Hanson

"Believe in yourself. You're stronger than you think," I said. Valerie gave me a funny look.

"I know."

* * *

Acee Hal

Electra was fiddling with her whistle and stealing glances at me. Yeah, I knew it amplified and focused sound. I just wasn't about to tell the Gamemakers. Demarcus was channeling all his fear into aggression. He'd either die in the Bloodbath or tear it apart. Such an odd pair I had this year.

* * *

Mags Cohen

Careen and I recited edible plants to each other as she mimed tying knots with her hands.

"Remember, it isn't about who kills most. It's about who kills last."

* * *

Erwin Jackson

I wanted nothing to do with the boy. The ones who took enjoyment in this were the lowest. The girl was wailing in the tube. I didn't blame her for an accident. But now she understood how I felt. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

* * *

Toby Cash

The boy was playing with three men. They were wrestling by some pretty glass. The girl stood in more glass. She looked so wise and strong, like an angel. They both flew away, even though the boy didn't have wings.

* * *

Sequoia Wilson

"It won't be scary. I'll find Electra and we'll get out together," Desiree was babbling. Ash stood in his tube with his back to me and his arms folded. I knew he meant to snub the Capitol, not me, so I wasn't mad. It took a lot to get me mad at a Tribute.

"We'll just take some things and leave. I bet it won't even be a very bad Bloodbath. Probably the Careers will start fighting and we can get away. We'll be fine after that..."

* * *

Tillo Peters

When I couldn't avoid Blaise and had to talk to him, he always talked about how he and Demarcus were the best alliance and they were going to set the Arena on fire. I really didn't care, but he couldn't read social cues. I never asked for this job and my contribution was usually to point the Tributes toward a qualified instructor. We all knew they were going to die. It took decades for me to win in Eight. I expected to be here just as long.

* * *

Chimera Ilium

It was a lot easier for Diggory than for me. The tube came down and he ran right to it to explore the strange glass that came from the ceiling. When it closed around him, he didn't panic. _I_ was the mess. I wished I could stay with him and keep him safe all his life. If I could have, I would have taken his place. It didn't matter that I'd die. It was worth it. Diggory saw me sobbing on my knees and put his hands to the glass.

"No cry. See Kasha. Smile!" He smiled a huge grin and pointed to show me how to do it. I tried.

* * *

Cornflower Fields

This was my easiest year as mentor. Zinnia never even talked to me. She wasn't scared, either. She stood in her tube as defiant as a caged dragon. Bambi had a harder time. He didn't like butchers.

* * *

Pepper Wilson

Something was weird about Ventrix. She seemed strong and I thought she might even win. But she was so cold. I loved being with people and having a good time. She was so standoffish I didn't know how she met Hoban. She talked to him reassuringly as they waited for the tubes to shut. Until they did, they held hands.

* * *

Nubu Sanders

"It's okay. I got to see a lighthouse," Chase said. We were both shaking- him with fear and me with injustice. I hated being part of this. The best I could do was save the children involved, but I didn't think I'd done that with Chase. He was still so fragile.

"Don't forget my mom, right? I'll be okay. She doesn't have to worry," Chase said, and the tube closed. I kept it together until he was out of sight so I wouldn't scare him more. He was a good kid.


	27. Countdown

Kerry Selmosa

I loved the Arena as soon as I saw it. Other than a small clearing for the Cornucopia, towering cliffs surrounded us. A maze of steeply sloped gray and red striped rock snaked off in every direction, broken up by scattered tufts of yellow grass. The air was hot and dry, and I knew the most valuable thing in the Cornucopia was the water bottles.

 _Attention: 60 seconds until the Games..._

* * *

Theo Kasius

It was lucky I used both the bow and the sword. Anyone who used a long range weapon would be significantly handicapped by this Arena. I could hardly see more than twenty feet in any direction before the rock stopped me.

 _47, 46, 45..._

* * *

Granja Valdez

I found Peach four stations down from me. She was looking at the weapons deeper in the Cornucopia. I tried to signal her not to do it. The sun was so hot my neck hurt.

 _41, 40, 39..._

* * *

Rory Harris

This was the exact opposite of home. It looked like something from the Wild West. I wondered how hard the cliffs were to climb and whether the passages ended in dead ends or went on forever.

 _33, 32, 31..._

* * *

Adonia Child

I wanted the clock to go faster. If I was going to die, I didn't need five more seconds. I wanted to jump off the platform and climb to the highest spire, until I could look down and see the entire Arena below me.

 _25, 24, 23..._

* * *

Hoban Tam

I wouldn't be able to identify any plants here. There _weren't_ any plants. We'd have to eat something else. Ventrix was only two platforms away. That was one less thing to worry about.

 _19, 18, 17..._

* * *

Incense Balboa

 _They used to call this the Badlands. There's Theo he'll probably kill me. Prairie dogs live here. Does it hurt to die? There was a park here. Oh god ten more seconds until I die..._

 _10, 9, 8..._

* * *

Desiree Redwood

 _They're right next to me they're waiting to kill me. No! No! Electra! Where are you? When can I start running? Please let me start running! Don't kill me!_

 _5, 4, 3, 2, 1..._

The Games began.


	28. Bloodbath

Hiyas Tonto

The Careers ran for the weapons. It was good to be the only one who wanted a mace and throwing knives. I didn't have to worry about someone beating me to it.

I might should have worried about someone beating me to the other weapons, though. Ash snatched up the flail and smashed me across the shoulder with it. A few inches higher and he would have brained me. As it was, he knocked me flat.

"Watch out!" Valerie yelled. She stabbed Ash in the chest and he fell sideways. She turned and offered me a hand. When I took it, she stuck her sword in my stomach.

"Oops, missed."

* * *

Ash Black

The gong sounded and the rage flooded back. I couldn't kill the Capitol, but I could kill their agents. I got in one good blow before the girl from Two stabbed me. But I wasn't down yet. I brought the handle to my flail clacking into the bone of her ankle. When she fell, I picked up the spiky ball in one hand and smashed it into her back.

It didn't kill her, but I knew I'd done some major damage. I got to my feet and swung the flail in a sweeping circle without aiming. My strike hit the boy from Four in the ribs and flattened him. The boy from Two buried his axe in my back and I fell. I couldn't get up that time, but I could still bite his leg. I saw the girl I'd hit come in for another blow and let go.

"Capitol, you don't own me!"

* * *

Electra Magneta

Desiree was panicking. When the gong sounded, I ignored the loot in the Cornucopia and ran to her. I grabbed her hand.

"Come on!" I yelled. She followed instantly when I pulled, even though she must have barely felt the force of my tug. Behind her platform, I saw a plastic bag filled with batteries and grabbed it. We'd figure the rest out later. We were in no condition to fight.

* * *

Hoban Tam

I ran toward Ventrix's platform until I remembered that was bringing me closer to the Cornucopia and the Careers. I pivoted and grabbed a pack on my way to meet Ventrix, who was skirting around the platforms at a safe distance. We met up and ran into the rocky channels.

In just a few feet, we couldn't even see the Cornucopia anymore. We could hear it, though. The Careers were shouting like they were having trouble with something, and everyone was screaming. Sometimes the screams got cut off.

* * *

Diggory

Lots people stand. Three two one. Noise! See Kasha now?

Boys girl run. Run to yellow shape. Shouting.

BLOOD.

NO BLOOD FATHER BLOOD. BLOOD HURT FATHER HURT DIGGORY. BLOOD BEFORE HURT BEFORE. RUN.

Run run run. Run away Chimera said run away. No more screaming bleeding. Stop stop.

I falling down. Not hurt, not blood.

Kasha? Kasha.

* * *

Angelo Tempest

We'd discussed Diggory before the Games. None of us wanted to do _that._ It wasn't even sporting and we'd alienate the sponsors. I never thought I'd be the one to do it. It was the ultimate act of a bully. But when I saw the "first aid" kit stocked with vials of poison, I knew what to do. I took one of Karyssa's arrows and dunked it in a vial.

"Here, it's the best way," I said, looking at Diggory as he ran. Understanding flashed in her eyes as she took it. It wouldn't even hurt him.

* * *

Peach Unk

Granja was sensitive. I'd have to do the heavy lifting myself. I didn't see a pitchfork in the Cornucopia. In this Arena, survival would be the main concern, and I looked for that sort of thing instead. I took a risk and darted closer to the Cornucopia, snagging a bag. I doubled back and bolted, grabbing a rain poncho on the way.

Granja surprised me. When I turned around from facing the Cornucopia, her arms were already full of supplies. She had a bunch of bananas in one and various cans and bundles in the other. I reached her side and we ran into the rocks.

"Where'd you get all those?" I asked as we ran.

"They were on the edges," she said.

"I didn't even have to run in?" Screw that.

* * *

Blaise Wesley

There was a big axe waiting for me in the Cornucopia. I knew the Careers would want it, but I was fast. I could sneak in and get it while Demarcus got survival stuff, since he didn't use a weapon. Nobody would be able to get us then.

I reached the axe and hefted it. It was heavy, and it slowed me down as I ran toward Demarcus. Then my leg bent and snapped. I screamed as I fell, and I saw Theo standing over me with his leg still cocked from his kick. He took the axe and twisted it from my hands. I heard Demarcus' yell as Theo struck. Theo was going to pay. Demarcus would never let him go.

* * *

Addie Child

I knew what to do. It was weird nobody had thought of it before. I'd run straight into the Cornucopia and grab whatever I wanted. Then I'd climb over the Cornucopia and land safe on the other side. The Careers would never expect that, and I'd be gone before they knew what to do.

I went for the lighter things as I charged. I didn't want anything weighing me down. I took a multitool and a flat canvas canteen and stuffed them in my bra as I ran. I hefted a small backpack at the edge of the Cornucopia and started to climb.

It was going perfectly until Careen stuck her knife through my leg until it clanged off the metal Cornucopia. She grabbed my pants and yanked, pulling me off and dropping me to the ground. She stuck her other knife in my chest and when I didn't die fast enough, she pulled the first from my leg and jammed it into my head.

It was supposed to work, like it always did before. This never happened.

* * *

Inky Balboa

I needed supplies for traps. That and water bottles. I was lucky- there was a bottle right by my station. After that, I took a spool of rope and looked to see what the others were doing.

Rory and Zinnia were together peeking around the edge of a cliff, waiting for the rest of us. Chase was across the circle of platforms picking up supplies. Addie was in the center-

 _Oh my god._ The girl from Four pulled Addie from the Cornucopia and _stuck her knives in her._ Addie never looked scared. She didn't get scared. She was too brave. I saw the knife go into her head and I felt like I was floating away. I forgot about gathering supplies and ran. I ran toward Rory and Zinnia. Zinnia was trying to run back toward me and Rory was holding her back.

I was even more scared than I'd been when the gong went off. If Addie could die, anything could happen.

* * *

Chase Strata

I gathered any supplies I could grab in both hands. The Games might last a long time. We'd need a lot of food and water.

I could hear the fighting behind me, but I didn't look. I wanted the world to be a nice place. I didn't need to see what was happening there. When I saw Inky running toward Rory and Zinnia, I stopped gathering supplies. I didn't want to hold them back.

As I was running, someone stabbed me in the back. I thought it was a sword, but when I twisted around after I fell, it was only an arrow. I could have maybe gotten up and limped toward the others, but that would have given away their position. I wouldn't have made it- Karyssa shot another arrow just above the first.

Maybe I'd see my mother soon. But if I didn't, that meant she was still alive. Either way was good.

* * *

 **There we have it. Now they, and you, can rest in peace while I'm in Milwaukee. I did some shuffling and last-minute resurrecting, but here's how it panned out.**

 **Obituaries:**

 **24th place: Hiyas Tonto- stabbed by Valerie**

 **Hiyas was a Bloodbath, and I am most grateful. He was your normal Career and the girls hated him so much they straight up killed him. That's pretty bad.** **Thanks Only1God for a Bloodbath. People like you make the Games doable.**

 **23rd place: Ash Black- Stabbed by Valerie and killed by Theo**

 **A few things in Ash's profile resulted in this. First was how much he hated the Capitol. This led to enough rage to stay in the fight after he got his flail. The second was his extreme fight instinct and the third was his suggested victory fighting three Careers. He didn't win that fight, but Valerie and Angelo are both significantly injured, and Hiyas would be if he wasn't dead. Somehow I managed to forget to note Ash's submitter, but thanks. He was passionate and his relationship with his dead family made it easy for me to develop him.**

 **22nd place: Diggory- Shot by Karyssa**

 **Diggory was sent as an inevitable Bloodbath. His submitter thought he'd be really hard to write, but I just so happen to have heavily studied feral children for no good reason. I re-read the massive amount of information available on Genie, the most famous feral child, and watched videos to make sure I got the correct speech and movement patterns. It was fun to study the linguistics and behavior patterns and I had a lot of fun writing Diggory, even if he was depressing. Thanks Lisaisanut for the challenge and opportunity. I never decided if Kasha was dead, but it would make sense for her crime. It would also make sense she'd come for Diggory.**

 **21st place: Blaise- Axed by Theo**

 **Blaise was overconfident. He was also a young boy. Little boys do that sort of reckless stuff. Blaise was a last-minute fill for a vacated slot, so I'm grateful for him. Thanks Jayman for Blaise. He and Demarcus were the coolest cats. Now Demarcus is the coolest cat.**

 **20th place: Addie Child- Stabbed by Careen**

 **Addie's form noted that she would die "doing something ridiculous and messing up". Yeah, there's a reason no one thought of her plan. She had the guts, just not the entire Victor package. Thanks MysticalPineForest for Addie. She flamed out and didn't fade away.**

 **19th place: Chase Strata- Shot by Karyssa**

 **Chase was a long shot from the start. He never mentioned it and preferred to stay optimistic, but it was going to happen. He lived his dream as well as he could and didn't have to watch his mother die. She's likely too sick to really understand and will probably join him soon and they won't have to worry about dying anymore, since they're dead. Thanks Everlastingimpression for Chase. I'm gonna miss him, Nubu's gonna miss him, we're all gonna miss him.**


	29. Priorities

Theo Kasius

Whether or not he meant to, Ash gave the others a huge break. Valerie and Tempest were both wounded, and we'd have to tend to them before we went out hunting. Luckily, Angelo knew about medicine. Unluckily, he was one of the wounded. Karyssa was rifling through our first aid kits fetching whatever he asked for.

"Valerie has two broken ribs, but they're only cracked," Angelo reported in a wheezing voice. He winced as he felt his own chest. "I only have one."

"So what do you need?" Karyssa asked.

"Nothing, actually," Angelo said. "Broken ribs heal on their own. As long as they're not puncturing the lung, there's not much to do other than wash out the wound and bandage it. We can take painkillers if we need and it's best not to engage in much exercise, but I'm pretty sure Valerie won't take that advice," Angelo said.

"What about this?" Valerie said, lifting her leg. "That hurts more than the ribs!"

Angelo examined it. "It's not broken, just really really bruised," he said. "Ideally you wouldn't walk on it for a while."

"Screw that. Gimme an aspirin and let's go," Valerie said to no one's surprise.

As Angelo examined our medical state, I thought about our future strategy. The Arena was hot, hot enough that I was sweating even though we weren't doing anything. Obviously the greatest problem would be getting water. We had plenty, but the others would be looking for it and wouldn't be able to stray far from it. When we found it, we'd find them and be able to decimate them.

* * *

Rory Harris

We must have been a sight to everyone watching. Instead of consoling the younger girls, _I_ was the one crying like a baby. Zinnia and Inky were on either side of my trying to cheer me up.

"You couldn't help them. You were keeping Zinnia safe," Inky said.

"I should have kept them safe too," I said. I was the biggest and strongest. I should have been in the Bloodbath making sure Chase and Addie were okay.

"Look at all this stuff you got us," Zinnia said. She held up the plastic bag full of cans I'd grabbed at the Bloodbath. I wanted to lie down and let the Careers get me, but I had to stay strong for Zinnia and Inky. _Yeah, strong. I've been doing a great job of that._

It was only in the last few minutes that we'd slowed down enough to talk. We'd been running since the Bloodbath, and the cannons had gone off long ago. Inky and Zinnia were panting, and my chest hurt from my own disordered breathing. I sat down on a pile of rocks and the girls followed.

"You're right. What do we have?" I said. I wanted to act normal, but my face must have still been red and puffy and my voice cracked every other word.

"I got a water bottle and this rope," Inky said.

"That's great. I'm already thirsty," Zinnia said. She'd run straight away, so the rest of our supplies came from me. We spread out the cans.

"There's water in most of these too," Zinnia said. She looked up at the sky and I followed her gaze. The sun was blazing hot and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. One bottle of water wouldn't last long.

"We should stay in the shade," Inky said. We clustered together in the shadow of the rocks and the temperature dropped suddenly.

"When it's dark we can look for grass," I said. Grass would mean water, and it would be more like home. "Until then I'll sit here in the back in case the Careers come."

The girls didn't say anything as they pressed close to each other, but they knew why I wanted to be in the back. That way they wouldn't see me cry.

* * *

Karyssa Evans

"Only six people died in the Bloodbath," Careen said as the cannons went off.

"At least most of us got one," I said.

"Yeah, and you got two," she said. "Good job."

"Yeah..." I said. I didn't want to get caught up in killing like some Careers. It was just the way to win, nothing more. It wasn't the reason to join. I came to win, not kill. And yet, something nagged on even my impassive conscience.

"Hey Careen?" I started.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"You think it's okay I killed that wild kid?" I asked.

"Of course. We're Careers. That's what we do," she said.

"Yeah, but he wasn't a threat. He was barely even functioning, you know?" I asked. She shrugged.

"He was going to die anyway. And I saw what Angelo did. You two made it quick, so he didn't dehydrate or get mauled by a mutt. Really, Angelo killed him. You just shot him in the arm," she said.

"And he died so quick. He didn't even move after he fell," I said.

"Someone had to do it. Thanks for taking one for the team," Careen said.

Diggory was a one-time fluke. It was a mistake on the Gamemakers' part, not mine. He wasn't what the Games were about. You couldn't blame him for the Dark Days when he didn't have the ability to understand them. He'd have wandered about chasing butterflies if they hadn't dragged him into this mess. I didn't make him suffer. I just cleaned up their mess.

* * *

Desiree Redwood

When the gong went off, I panicked. Everyone was running everywhere and I didn't know which way led to death and which was safe. If Electra hadn't pulled me away, I would have died. One we were out of earshot of the Cornucopia, my brain started to work again. I noticed Electra struggling to keep up behind me and slowed down.

"Are you better now?" she asked.

"I'm good. Thanks," I said.

"Don't thank me yet. We still have problems," she said. She held up a single bag of batteries. "Here's our supplies."

"Uh-oh," I said. My mouth was already dry and the air was scorching around us. We huddled close to the shadows of the rocks and tried to stay out of the sunlight.

"We need to find water now. The Careers aren't even a worry," she said.

"Right. Water," I said. Having something tangible to focus on held me keep my thoughts clear. "At home, we know the trees grow close to water. We need to find wherever the most plants are," I said. The dirt beneath us had some scrubby grass, but no trees.

"There's probably water underneath us, but digging that far would just tire us out. I can't make anything with just batteries," Electra said. But the batteries weren't what we needed. She had something else I could use.

"Let me see the bag," I said. I shook the batteries out and Electra put them in her pocket. There weren't any trees, but there was one scratchy bush at the bottom of a cliff. I put the bag over a handful of branches and sealed it around them.

"What's that?" Electra asked.

"Trees put out water. That's where some dew comes from. The bag will trap the water," I said.

"Will it be a lot of water?" Electra asked.

"I don't think so, but it better be," I said.


	30. The First Afternoon

**I decided to take things slow the first day to give everyone time to see the Arena. Until the first Career hunt after nightfall, the first day in any Games is probably pretty quiet as the Tributes scatter in all directions.**

* * *

Quiola Cassidy

Sky said I shouldn't risk running in, so I didn't grab anything at the Cornucopia. The Careers must have figured out what happened with my score, because they didn't target me as I fled. I kept running until the cannons started.

After I stopped, I realized my troubles were just starting. My mouth was slimy with thick spit from running so hard, and I didn't have anything to drink. I wasn't dehydrated yet, but I was already really thirsty. There was no water anywhere on the parched ground or the barren rocks around me. It was obvious the Hunger Games would be centered around water this year.

Only six cannons went off. The Bloodbaths had been smaller lately. Either the Careers were taking fewer risks or the Gamemakers set things up so the Games would last longer. Which was especially dangerous this year.

I swiped some sweat off my forehead and licked my finger. I wasn't sure if the salty moisture would keep me hydrated, but it felt nice to have something wet on my tongue. It was hot enough to make me want to wait until dark to look for water, but I didn't know how weak I would be then. In the Arena, everything was life-and-death. If I messed up anything, like how to find water, I'd die just like that. Just like someone else.

I had one consolation. All the other Tributes would be looking for water as well. They wouldn't be looking for me. The Careers probably had plenty and could come for us whenever they wanted, but they were the only enemy for the time being. And they were a long way away. I had to hope that water was further into the Arena and not closer to them.

* * *

Granja Valdez

"I can't believe you got all this stuff," Peach said as we went through our supplies. I had a bunch of bananas, a bag of tin cans, a sheet of brown canvas, a pocketknife, a collapsible pail, a lighter, and a mirror. Peach's bag had iodine tablets, a bag of salt, a packet of milk powder, and best of all, one bottle of water.

"I wanted to be a good ally," I said. I'd been afraid Peach would stick with me through the Bloodbath and then run away. After it was done, I felt guilty at my lack of faith. She wasn't like that.

"I'm already thirsty, but we should save our water," Peach said.

"Let's open one of the cans and drink that water," I said. All of the cans were pull-top, so it was easy to open one. We picked the fish since it looked the grossest. The water inside had bits of fish in it and tasted salty and slimy, but it was better than nothing.

"If we're careful, we can make these last a long time," Peach said. "Maybe long enough for some of the others to die." I knew most of the Tributes would be looking for water. If we could hole up or keep a distance from any water holes, we'd be out of their sights.

We ventured further into the Arena and examined the cliffs around us. Most of them were sloped gently enough to climb, and some of them were taller than buildings. There were crags and holes in some of them, maybe deep enough to make into a shelter. There was no sign of wildlife or the other Tributes. Just rocks everywhere, and not even a trickle of water.

* * *

Demarcus

I picked up a rock and threw it as hard as I could. It cracked and split into two pieces as it hit one of the cliffs around me. I wanted to yell, but it wasn't safe.

 _Screw that! Screw it not being safe! It should have been safe for him!_ Trust my shitty life. I made a friend for the first time in years and I watched him die. Blaise was a great guy. He thought I was cool and I didn't show it as much, but I thought the same of him. We were going to be partners. He was gone, just like that. There weren't enough rocks to throw to stop the pain.

It was Theo who killed him. I was too far away when he attacked. I was trying to gather supplies for us. I was trying to help him stay alive. I almost ran at him right then, but I knew it would be stupid. I retreated, but it wasn't over. I couldn't attack him with all his allies there, but I could wait. They wouldn't all live forever, and they didn't know survival like I did. The Arena wasn't like the nice, neat Academy. It was a brutal, unforgiving world out here, just like the streets. Here, surviving came before killing. Once they'd run out of little kids to kill, they'd start turning on each other, and the Arena would take care of any that made mistakes. When they were weak enough, then I could attack. I didn't care about the others. Only Theo.

I wasn't going to kid myself. I had a snowball's chance in Hell, and first I had to keep myself alive and in good condition. In the Bloodbath, I grabbed one of the bigger backpacks. When I dumped it out, I found a hunting knife, a half-full canteen, water purification tablets, and some weird gels that were apparently food. It was enough to keep me going as long as I needed.

It was hot, but I never wanted the sun to set. There was one face I was dreading, and another I wasn't looking forward to either. Everyone who deserved to win was already dead. The best I could do was remove the one who deserved it least.

* * *

Hoban Tam

Everyone in our alliance was alive, and we all had various supplies from the Bloodbath. Ventrix was the most cautious, which made sense. All she took was a pocketknife with about a dozen assorted blades and tools. I was a little bolder and ran a few feet in to grab a first aid kit I noticed. Kerry, naturally, ran straight to the heart of the fight and scooped up everything he could carry. He added an empty canteen, three weird gel pads, two pairs of socks, a firestarting tool, a bottle of sunscreen, and a super thin sleeping bag to our supplies.

"What even is this?" Kerry asked as he looked at one of the gel pads. I picked up another and read the label.

"You twist it and the chemicals mix. It heats up and provides heat for four hours," I said.

"Cool! We'll be warm even if we only have one bag," Kerry said.

"We have everything we need but water. We should find some as soon as we can," I said. But as it turned out, it found us. We didn't expect to get sponsors so early, or really at all, since Eleven was so poor, but there the parachutes were. The first held two pairs of sunglasses, which would be very nice with all the glare and were probably cheap to send, since they were more for comfort than for killing. It also had two wool caps, which led me to believe the Arena got chilly at night. The second held four bottle of water and a machete.

"Awesome!" Kerry said when he saw the water.

"Great, now we can defend ourselves," I said when I saw the machete. I noticed Ventrix didn't say anything. We all knew the machete was for her, and I think it made her nervous. Not about using it- that would be easy for her. Nervous _because_ it would be easy for her.

"It's a good thing someone knows how to fight around here," I said when she finally picked it up. It wasn't her fault she was trying to live. She wasn't the guilty one.


	31. Night

Zinnia Fraser

Hoban needed some time, so Incy and I climbed up a cliff to see how far we could see and maybe set some traps. It was cool how she could set up rocks and balance them just right so they'd fall and snare whatever came by. Maybe soon we'd get to eat a rabbit or something.

"Maybe there's some water up here," Incy said. There were plenty of hollows and cracks in the rocks where it might gather.

"I hope so," I said. It was weird how far away the Bloodbath seemed. I just saw six children die, but it was like another world. I was worried about water and sleeping in the dark, but it was hard to remember the Careers were out there looking for us. It was probably just too much to process.

"What do you think we'll catch?" I asked.

"Maybe a prairie dog, but I guess not up here in the rocks. Maybe a lizard or a bird. Wrens and songbirds like to nest in the rocks," she said. I hoped we caught an ugly bird. It was selfish, but I'd feel better killing a vulture than a cute little chickadee.

"Think a rock would break if I dropped it from up here?" I asked. It was hard to tell how far up we were, but it seemed pretty high.

"I don't know," Incy said. So I picked up a fist-sized rock and dropped it. It didn't break, but it still made a big commotion.

"Hey!" Hoban yelled when it hit the ground. He leaped up and put up his fists, whirling around and looking for the intruders.

"It's okay!" I called down. "I, uh, knocked a rock loose. Sorry." Incy and I looked at each other guiltily. Maybe we _shouldn't_ be startling people and making noise in the Hunger Games.

* * *

Valerie Lenn

It was good to be a Career. It got chilly when the sun went down, but we could have a cozy campfire without worrying. There was five gallons of water in the Cornucopia, which would hold us over until we found a better source. And naturally, there was plenty of food. The Gamemakers had style this year. Among the normal stuff like trail mix and jerky, there were a few other items. After we were done with the hot dogs, we brought out the marshmallows.

"You guys want to hear a scary story?" I asked as I watched my mallow turn golden.

"Is it about your face?" Careen asked. Karyssa snorted through her hand.

"Ha ha. No, it's _way_ worse. A long time ago in Ten, there was this really creepy guy. He lived on a farm by himself, and he never talked to anyone. Nobody liked visiting him because his house always smelled terrible. They'd always stay outside and leave as soon as they could, because it was just so awful. His neighbors sometimes saw him dancing around in the yard in the middle of the night."

"Then this lady from the next town over went missing. Everyone suspected him right away, and her brother went to the man's house to ask about it. The weird thing is, the guy let him right in. Well he went inside and the smell almost made him puke. The man invited him into the living room and the brother noticed he had this horribly made leather couch with an ivory frame. When he got closer, he saw it wasn't that at all. It was made out of _skin."_

"Oh, _ew!"_ Karyssa cried. Angelo went green. I wasn't even at the best part.

"The brother ran into the kitchen, because the guy said he had soup on, and he saw the guy stirring a pot with a _human heart_ in it. After that, things got crazy. The brother ran out and brought back the Peacekeepers, and what they found is too horrible to list. There were bone cups and skin lampshades, and the guy's sister was in the barn, gutted like a deer. The worst thing they found was the skinsuit. The guy always wanted to be a girl. When the neighbors saw him dancing, they thought he was naked. He was covered in skin all right, but it wasn't his."

"What happened to him?" Theo asked.

"He was supposed to get executed, but he escaped on the last day. No one wanted to look for him, so they say he's still there," I said.

"I'm a Career, but that's vile," Careen said. I could tell we'd be sleeping with a flashlight on for at least one night. Someone would come up with a reason. Obviously it wasn't because a bunch of Careers were afraid of the dark.

* * *

Theo Kasius

Death never bothered me, but that was something else. That guy wasn't even in the Games. He was just sick. People like him made Careers look bad. I only killed people in the Games, and I made it quick. I didn't _eat_ them or wear their skin like a nasty tuxedo. Valerie said they knew the guy killed three women, but he probably killed way more. Even the Gamemakers wouldn't like that guy.

It probably wasn't even true. Valerie was probably just mad she and Angelo had to stay behind for our first hunt. I told them we'd leave a few so they wouldn't miss everything. There were so many places to hide, we might not even find anyone.

And we might _not_ have, if they weren't whispering. Karyssa tagged behind me as I crept closer to the noise. One of the girls saw me and screamed, but it was too late. I was too close to miss.

They weren't alone. Someone else ran out from behind the outcropping of rocks that let me sneak up to the girls and hit me from the side. The force knocked me down and I saw the girls running away. Karyssa threw her spear after them, but it was dark and she had no time to aim. I heard the spear clacking on the rocks. The boy battered at my face and chest. My axe was pinned against me, so I hit his nose with my elbow and shoved him off. I hit him in the chest with the axe and I knew it was fatal. He didn't die immediately, though, so I hit him again in the neck. It nearly decapitated him, and his cannon went off. The girls were gone, but we got the strongest of the alliance.

"Hey! They took my spear!" Karyssa said. She looked so indignant it was almost funny. Imagine a couple of girls taking their attempted murderer's spear. The very nerve.

* * *

Rory Harris

I didn't even think after I heard Zinnia scream. I had wanted to get home for Gwen, but that was over. Letting Zinnia and Incy die would only prove I didn't deserve to see her again. I knew she'd see what was happening, either now or in the morning when they replayed it. I hoped it wasn't too gory. I wanted to tell her I loved her, and that I didn't die because she wasn't enough. I loved her more than anything, but I had to do what was right. I wanted to be a good example for her. But I never, ever wanted her to live up to it.

* * *

 **18th place: Rory Harris- Axed by Theo**

 **I thought about killing Rory in the Bloodbath, but I wanted to see more of him. His form noted if he died it would be for his allies, and it suited him perfectly. He had a huge heart. It tore him apart than Addie and Chase died, and losing Zinnia and Incy would have killed him. He loved enough to give up his life, and he showed that the best don't win the Games. Thanks Hollyhobbit for Rory. He was one of the noblest and kindest Tributes I've ever gotten.**

 **Theo got two POVs so close because I thought it made sense to show the battle from the killer's and victim's perspectives. Since Karyssa uses a spear she wouldn't have gotten close enough to Zinnia and Incy for them to notice and scream.**

 **Valerie told the story of Ed Gein, except she switched the time to post-Dark Days and it was the police who found him, not the woman's brother.**

 **I didn't put sponsoring stuff up specifically but I usually go by reasonable requests. Everyone gets 10 points per Tribute and if all your Tributes die you become a rich Capitolite patron with 30 points. The only change to price is that in such a dry Arena, the Gamemakers upped the price for water. It is not 5 points for a day's worth. Meals are 5 points and they all count as a lean day's worth of calories, so they can be whatever you want. For everything else I mostly send by the honor system and I've never had people send way too much.**


	32. Cannons

**Hiyas Tonto-** Valerie Lenn

Good riddance. He thought he had the girls wrapped around his finger. He was cute, but not cute enough to die for.

* * *

 **Blaise Wesley-** Demarcus

I'd barely known him. I shouldn't have been so torn apart. I'd lost plenty of people before. But it hurt, more than I'd ever hurt before. He was my friend. He was the only one who _would_ be my friend. I'd never find that again.

* * *

 **Addie Child-** Incy Balboa

The knife went into her like cutting wax. Like carving meat when it was still alive. She was a person, not a thing. How could Careen do that? Did she have no heart? Addie was alive. Careen killed her like flipping a switch.

* * *

 **Ash Black-** Peach Unk

He kept talking about Peach. He couldn't have meant me. Whoever Peach was, I hoped she wasn't taking it too hard.

* * *

 **Diggory-** Karyssa Evans

He didn't have to keep looking at me like that. Nothing good ever happened to that kid. I just finished it. We could all put it behind us and nothing like that ever had to happen again.

* * *

 **Chase Strata-** Zinnia Fraser

I was glad Rory wasn't alive to see him and Addie. Chase shouldn't have been here. The Careers deserved it, and at least I was the Capitol's enemy. Chase just wanted to care for his mother and look at lighthouses. But the Capitol hates light. Now I understood.

* * *

 **Rory Harris-** Incy Balboa

He saved us. Zinnia and I knew Rory was too good to win. We still wanted him too. The good ones die and people say "Really it's for the best. He wouldn't have wanted to win." No, what's for the best is not to kill him.

* * *

 **Theodora listed Diggory as "Diggory Doe", but he really doesn't have a last name. She was just using a computer form that demanded an input under the last name category.**


	33. Dire Straits

Titus Gein

I didn't grab anything at the Cornucopia. I just ran. When I finally stopped, I tried to find water. I knew I should go downhill, since that's where water flows, and I got lucky. I found a tiny spring coming out of the bottom of a cliff. The water was full of silt, but it didn't seem to have anything alive in it. I squished myself into a crack in the rocks and hardly moved until nightfall.

I spent a lot of time thinking about the faces in the sky. Addie was my District partner. I would have thought she'd outlive me. She was so bold. It hit me hard when Diggory and Chase showed up. I never saw Chase do anything but smile, and Diggory was really just a toddler. I knew there was no hope for Panem when they died. Ash had always seemed so angry. I hoped he found peace. I hardly knew Blaise and Rory, but I still missed them. I even felt bad about Hiyas. He came from a different world, and he killed himself trying to meet their standards.

There was a lot of time to think. Seven people were gone. There would never be anyone just like them ever again. Fourteen parents were burying their children. Fourteen beds were empty. I didn't know how many brothers and sisters were trying to be brave for their parents.

The stars stretched out before me like I could see to eternity. Was there eternity? Were twenty-three of us going to vanish, like we were never born? Even the Victor would die eventually. We weren't supposed to think about those things, only about what we could do for Panem. Panem wouldn't last forever, but eternity would.

What was it all for? The Capitol said it was so the Dark Days wouldn't happen again. I didn't think about it before, but I finally knew. These were the Dark Days.

* * *

Kerry Samosa

I didn't want to get between Ventrix and Hoban, not that I could have. Once we made camp, I started climbing. The Arena was made for me. I loved all its orange, sandy cliffs and towering spires. I passed from one to another, trying to find the very highest. When I did, I could see all the way to the Cornucopia. It was early in the morning, and the Careers were still in their sleeping bags. I ducked behind the rock and peeked around so they couldn't see me. I felt a thrill at being able to spy on them, and I knew my allies would be happy we could keep tabs on them.

I was careful to stay out of sight as I kept climbing. I knew I shouldn't be exerting myself, since water was limited, but I couldn't help it. In all likelihood I only had a few days left. I wanted to make the most of them.

I must have been twenty feet up when I found a narrow crevice in the rocks. I squeezed into it and in eventually flared out like a funnel. If the Careers didn't know where to look, they'd never find me in the tiny hollow. Only one person could fit, but it was like a fortress. It went on a little farther, but the tunnel was too small to squeeze into. But when I tried, on my hands and knees, my hand came away damp.

 _That_ got my attention. I stretched out on my belly and stuck my arm into the tunnel. My hand slid into a pool of cold water. I waved my arm around and discovered it was a circular puddle maybe two feet across and two inches deep.

I was out of the cave in record time. Ventrix and Hoban had to hear about this.

* * *

Electra Magneta

I was up bright and early to check our bag. Desiree followed and we huddled expectantly around the bush.

"We got like two teaspoons," Des said.

"How are we even going to drink that?" I said. The bag was slightly damp. There wasn't even a puddle at the bottom. Des carefully removed it and opened the bag. She swiped her finger on the condensation and licked it off.

"We're gonna need more bags," she said.

"Yeah, and we need them fast," I said. We tried to divide the drops equally and I stared at the sky. It was another clear, sunny day. I fiddled nervously with a rock while I calculated. I didn't know exactly how long we could go without water, but it had to be less than a week. All the Careers had to do was not move.

I couldn't believe it when I heard the parachute. I hadn't wanted to ask Acee for anything. I felt like I should have been able to make it myself. But it seemed even she wouldn't hold it against me if all I had was batteries and rocks.

"It's water!" Des cried triumphantly. I looked over the canister attached to the parachute. It looked like an alloy, but it was at least partially aluminum, which was a good conductor. I might be able to use it, or the string and the fabric parachute. The small dagger had more obvious uses.

"It's only half full," Des said, looking into the canteen.

"Can we use it like the bag?" I asked.

"No, it has to be clear," she said.

"Then we better drink carefully. And we should keep moving. We need more than this bush," I said. Acee bought us time. I had to take care of the rest.

* * *

Angelo Tempest

Secretly, I was happy I was wounded. My time in the Games Center changed my attitude a lot, and the Bloodbath sealed it. I did what I did with Diggory because I wanted it to be as easy as it could, but I'd never forget how innocent he was and the part I played in destroying that. I saw the Tributes fleeing in terror and _I_ was what they were fleeing from. I volunteered in part so someone worse wouldn't get a chance. I couldn't become that something worse.

I'd made my choice. I didn't want to kill again. I was a healer, not a killer. The only exception was the other Careers. They were just like the bullies I'd dealt with in the past, and killing them would be like cutting out a tumor.

All the same, I was playing a dangerous game. I was valuable as a healer, but I'd be the target when the Careers broke up. I could slip into a more passive role by playing up my injury and volunteering to watch the camp while I "recovered", but I couldn't let them think I was too weak.

I'd gotten myself into a terrible mess. The Hunger Games were no place for someone who wanted to _preserve_ life.


	34. Trickling Away

**I did indeed put Hoban instead of Rory and call Inky Incy. Fail!**

* * *

Quiola Cassidy

My head hurt like someone was pounding nails into it. The Arena seemed hotter than ever. I stretched out in a cool shadow and tried to catch my breath. My heart was racing, even though I wasn't moving. I hardly _could_ move. I was panting like a dog, but my mouth was dry as cotton.

All I could think about was how thirsty I was. I thought of the water in the Cornucopia and wished I'd risked it. Dying then would have been at least braver than dying in a heap under some rocks.

I tried to stand, but I got dizzy and fell back down. I wished I'd been able to find some allies. Maybe one of them would have been luckier in the Bloodbath. I'd been walking for days, but I hadn't found any trace of water.

Mom told me not to give up. I tried my hardest, and I was still trying, but I couldn't live without water. I remembered Emilija, so guilt-ridden and desperate for forgiveness. I was glad I'd had time to tell her it wasn't her fault, and I was glad I wasn't at home watching her here in my place. I thought of Trisha and Laine yelling at me to get up, and I tried again. I kept trying, even though I felt like there was nothing left to me. I didn't want to give up.

* * *

Careen Ellis

The Arena was different from everything I'd ever known at home, and I loved it. The sunsets were glorious, even if they weren't quite as nice as the ones at home. I loved watching the sun melt behind the tall, orange rock spires. I'd never seen such a clear sky with all the lights from the boats at home. I'd never known stars could be so bright.

There was something else I noticed, too. Five gallons looked like a lot of water, but it was going fast. We were already halfway through it, and that was after we finished all the miscellaneous canteens and bottles from the Cornucopia. We'd be out of water soon, and I was looking forward to it. Most of us spent our training time practicing or learning a new weapon. Mags taught me something else, and it was even more valuable than I thought.

Killing was part of life. Fish, Tributes, opponents- it was all part of the challenge. They'd all do the same to me, and the only thing that mattered was being the best. I'd often daydreamed about how wonderful it would be to win the Games. I'd be the most famous person in Panem, at least for a year. I'd be rich and all that, but the greatest part would be knowing I'd made it. I'd fought the fight and come out on top.

Water was everything in Four. It was everything here, too. I watched our supply dwindle away and wondered how great the Careers would be when they didn't have the one thing they took for granted.

* * *

Inky Balboa

I didn't know how Zinnia could be so strong. I was trying not to scream as we fled and awful things happened to Rory behind us. She was clever enough to snatch Karyssa's spear and take it with us.

"We have to keep going. I know it's hard. Rory did this so we could live," she told me. I was bent over a rock weeping. I couldn't go on like that. I couldn't watch friends die in the blink of an eye and lose them forever before I could even say goodbye.

"We don't have much water left. You shouldn't cry," Zinnia said. Again she amazed me by holding up our half-full water bottle. She must have grabbed it when we were running.

"You're right," I said. I straightened up and wiped my face off. I'd never forget Rory, but the best way to honor him was to keep living.

"We don't have to keep moving," Zinnia said. I knew she said it to make me feel better. "We'll use less water if we don't move much, at least during the day. We're small. Let's find a cave. The Careers won't be able to fit."

The rocks around us were pockmarked like cheese. It was easy to find a shallow ditch that went eight feet back into the rock. We pushed into it like a couple of hit dogs squished into one bun. It was cool inside, and the cliff felt sturdy and sheltering. We pulled a rock in front of the entrance to our cubby, and we might as well have been invisible.

* * *

Karyssa Evans

I traced an X into the sand where we found Rory and the others as a marker, not that it was hard to find with all the stirred up dirt and scuffle marks. It was a pain to have to backtrack all the way to the Cornucopia to get another spear, but I'd be back. I knew more than just spears and swords. I also knew how to track. Two girls fleeing like rabbits made some unmistakable tracks.

* * *

 **This one turned out short. I could have combined it with the previous one, but then it would have been long.**

 **17th place: Quiola Cassidy- Dehydrated**

 **Careen's POV took place before Quiola's, so it's been three days. In a hot Arena and for a girl that just did a ton of running, that's enough for dehydration. Quiola lost the eye of the tiger when she accidentally killed that Avox. With more allies, her bubbly personality would have showed more. There's an unfortunate amount of luck in this Arena, and she didn't happen to be near water. It would have been difficult for her to kill anyone anyway. Thanks Wendellintheweird for Quiola. Outgoing Tributes are way easier to write and even though I couldn't squeeze all of her facets into her POVs, I have her entire form and know just how complex she was.**


	35. Multiple Cannons

Peach Unk

It was colder than I would have expected at night. Granja and I were crammed into crevices into the rock to keep out the wind, but it might not have made any difference, since the rock sucked the warmth out of us just like the wind. It wasn't cold enough to kill us, but it was uncomfortable. Sleeping on rocks was also uncomfortable.

The night had been still for hours. Only one cannon had gone off all day, for the girl from Five. I wasn't surprised there were no animals around. It was a pretty desolate Arena. Not as bad as a desert or the snowy one, but still barren. If we didn't have all those cans, we'd have already died.

It was hard to see Granja in the dark, but I could tell she was awake when we heard the noise. At first I thought it was the Careers getting someone else. It sounded like someone in pain. Then I thought it must be a coyote, since it was a sort of rough barking noise. It had a gurgling echo like an earthquake. Then I knew it was a mutt.

Whatever it was, it was moving fast. I heard its echoing cries trailing across the Arena like a racing train. I squished as far back into the rocky cracks as I could, until rocks stabbed into my back. The cries kept moving, and to my relief, they were getting farther away.

I didn't know if Granja and I would discuss what we heard in the morning. I only heard the creature, but it sounded like something we couldn't fight off. There were some things better left unsaid.

* * *

Zinnia Fraser

Inky and I slept back-to-back in the tunnel, and I was glad. Then she couldn't see my cry. Nobody could be as brave as I pretended to be. Being one of the last members of an alliance was almost worse than dying. If it wasn't for Rory, I would have died in the Bloodbath trying to help Addie. Then he was gone too, just like Chase. I didn't want to lose Inky next.

It didn't have to be like this. If they'd left me alone, I wouldn't have rebelled. I still would have hated them, but I would have lived my life in Ten and minded my own business. That wasn't enough for them. They had to drag me out into the public eye just to torment me.

Inky and I froze when we heard footsteps. We were well hidden, and it was pitch black in our tunnel and barely lighter outside. Then we heard voices.

"Yep, they're in there. Tracks lead straight to it. Help me move this rock."

A sliver of light penetrated our hideaway. Ink flipped over and grabbed my arm. A flashlight beam illuminated the arm that grabbed my leg and started to yank. I slid an inch before I braced my arms on either side of the tunnel. Ink screamed and sat up, bumping her head on our ceiling. She grabbed me under both arms and tried to hold me in place. I wished she'd stayed quiet, but I realized it made no difference. Karyssa would have seen us running together. They knew we were here, but getting us out wouldn't be easy.

* * *

Karyssa Evans

It took me and Valerie both holding one foot and leaning back to pop the girl out of the tunnel like a cork. Valerie was still tender from the Bloodbath, or it would have been easier. We both fell back on our backsides when she finally slid out.

I found out too late she was still holding my spear. As I fell, she stabbed it at my leg. The angle was terrible and she wasn't strong, but it still hurt. I stabbed her back with my new spear, and _I_ knew how to do damage. She was a spitfire, though. She scuttled toward me and I took a step back just in case she got lucky. The other girl tried to sneak out the tunnel behind her and Zinnia swiped her spear at Valerie when she tried to get closer to attack.

Of course it was all just delaying the inevitable. The other girl was dead within the minute, and that's when Zinnia really lost it. I kept stabbing her, but she just wouldn't die. I was trying to make it clean, but it was hard to kill neatly with a spear at close range. Zinnia had been silent until the other girl died, but then she started shrieking like a banshee. She wiggled and flopped like a zombie, and I don't think I killed her so much as she just bled to death. I was glad when it was finally over. Some people can't accept losing.

* * *

Inky Balboa

I knew Zinnia was done for when the Career pulled her from my grasp like a shark dragging down a fish. I also knew she'd want me to run. I couldn't do anything against two Careers, and if Zinnia couldn't take care of herself, I wouldn't make a difference. Zinnia covered me while I slid out the tunnel and stood, but Valerie grabbed me by the hem of my pants as I tried to run and flung me to the ground.

 _It's my fault. I should have touched the rock twenty-five times instead of five. Then they wouldn't have found us,_ I thought as she stood over me. I hoped the Arena was too dark for the cameras to catch us, even with the Careers' flashlights. I wished I was back home with my family, making candles and reading books. There was so much more to learn in the world. But maybe I didn't want to know after all.

* * *

Zinnia Fraser

It didn't even hurt very much. I just wanted Karyssa to be the one that hacked a wailing thirteen-year-old to death and the Capitol to be the one that made her do it.

* * *

 **16th place: Inky Balboa- Stabbed by Valerie**

 **They weren't called the Long Shots for nothing. I always want to make younger Tributes last longer than they should, so I tried to be more realistic this time. Inky was a sweet, intelligent girl, but it would have been difficult for her to ever win. She brought humanity to the Games by tenderly mourning the fallen Tributes as real humans, and she made Panem a better place. Her OCD gave her another dimension and I didn't mention it much after the Games started because she was under so much stress it was mostly buried. Thanks Tracelyn for Inky. She was a lovely young woman.**

 **15th place: Zinnia Fraser- Speared by Karyssa**

 **One of these days the Zinnia type is going to actually win. It's an even longer shot, but anything can happen and I have such a soft spot. Zinnia was a firecracker. Where the older Tributes have had more time to get broken down by life, she was still a spirited little girl who was ready to take on the world. Of course things don't work that way, but she stuck with it till the end. Thanks Only1God for Zinnia. I never have to write down which Tribute is yours. Zinnia would be pleased to know that the Gamemakers are very displeased with her.**

 **Valerie has in fact recovered enough to actively hunt again. It's been three days and Panem technology is better, so she's ready to rip.**


	36. Cannons Two

**Quiola Cassidy-** Kerry Selmosa

I hadn't known Quiola back home. I'd barely seen her in the Capitol either. Maybe I should have felt loyalty to another Five, but I was just sorry she'd died because she was a person. I felt sorry when anyone here died.

* * *

 **Incense Balboa-** Ventrix Webb

The odd girl had died. I saw her in the Capitol, raising one foot over a crack carefully or counting the number of leaves in a bowl. I never said anything to her, but I always wondered how alike we were. Something was odd with her head, and sometimes I felt the same way.

* * *

 **Zinnia Fraser-** Granja Valdez

I thought Zinnia was going to win. She was just so alive and determined. I didn't think anyone could kill her. Anyone could die here. I already knew that was true for me, but seeing Zinnia made me see how close it was.

* * *

Tillo Peters

I knew it wasn't going to happen this year. Inky was far too gentle. I knew what it took to win the Games. It had to be the most important thing in your mind. For Inky, there were many more important things. Humanity, for one. Blaise was too young and too confident. Kids like him should learn their limitations by picking a fight with someone bigger, not getting killed in a deathmatch.

* * *

District Eight

Inky's parents still had clearance, but no one wanted to go near the library. They made candles almost obsessively, until the house was blazing with a million flames day and night. It still wasn't as bright as it used to be. Blaise's parents mourned in their own way, and all of Eight was cheering for Three now.

* * *

Bambi Kirkland

They didn't end up like me. That was the only thing to be happy about. Zinnia wouldn't have changed in a hundred Games and Rory made his choice when the time came. Neither of them lived long enough to see what the Games could turn them into.

* * *

District Ten

It was the best memorial possible for Zinnia that the Peacekeepers breathed down our neck for a week hoping for a reason to punish us for her disrespect. If she'd been here, she certainly would have given them enough reason to raze the entire District. Rory's memorial, like Rory, was more peaceful. Gwen fed the animals alone. She started calling her favorite cow Rory, because he was strong just like her brother.


	37. Friends Forever

**I didn't know that cans usually have salty water in them. I learn something new every day. In this case, the Gamemakers made the water less salty, because I put the cans in so not everyone would die of dehydration. A lot of the cans are fruit anyway, and I've seen enough Holes to know you can definitely live off peach juice. That and you really don't want to get bitten by yellow spotted lizards.**

* * *

Desiree Redwood

I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard Electra whimpering. I thought we were getting attacked and she'd had her throat slit. But there was no one around, and she was still asleep. She kept tossing and making little noises, like she was having a bad dream. She jerked awake suddenly and sat up, panting.

"It's okay, it was just a dream," I said. It took her a second to recognize me, but when she did, she started to relax.

"Sorry I scared you," she said.

"It's nothing. Probably everybody has nightmares now," I said. But that wasn't it. She'd mentioned her life back home, though she didn't talk about it at length. Something was really wrong if I talked about the Hunger Games to disguise her other problems.

And problems was something we had a lot of. We were already through our canteen. We wouldn't last more than two days without water, especially Electra. She was so much smaller than me, and even the Capitol food hadn't gotten her up to a really healthy weight. Circuits and switches couldn't make water. Our only hope was to find it.

I didn't want Electra to do much walking, but it was the lesser of two evils for us. We had to keep looking for water while we could still move. Everything depended on finding it before it was too late. We tried to go downhill, but it was hard to tell with all the rocks. Sometimes we had to clamber up and over the stones, and I worried about it draining our strength.

A patch of green stood out like an emerald among all the stone. My heart sailed at first. I thought it was an oasis. But it wasn't big enough, and there was no water around the plant. My heart didn't stop sailing, though, because it wasn't just any plant. It was a cactus.

"It's a cactus!" I proclaimed, in case Electra couldn't identify the spine-covered plant. I ran to it, disregarding my sticky mouth and tired legs, and carefully grabbed a thick chunk of it between the spines. I tore off a round lobe and ripped it in two. Water didn't pour out like I'd hoped, but the flesh inside was so moist it glistened. I shoved it in my mouth and its spongy flesh broke apart like the wettest ice cube in the world. It was the best salad I'd ever tasted.

* * *

Demarcus

To be strong enough to have any chance against a Career, I needed to take care of myself. A sponsor had sent me a set of brass knuckles, but I had to be in top condition for them to make any difference. Food wasn't a problem. The gels were crazy filling and I still had four left. Water was the issue.

I knew I was dehydrated. I had a headache and there wasn't any spit in my mouth. I got tired far faster than I should, and I knew I'd be in bad shape soon. I did my best to climb on the rocks, looking for shadowy pools, but it was dangerous. I wasn't a natural climber, and it was even more precarious in my present state.

It was almost high noon when I found a puddle. It was shallow and murky, and there was a white crust around the rim. It probably would have killed me if I didn't have purification tablets, and I probably still would have risked it. It was awful waiting an hour for the tablets to work, and when the water was finally ready, I drank the whole batch in one go. It tasted nasty and metallic with the tablets, but I could feel it replenishing my body. I started another canteen full and sat beside the pool in a crotch in the rocks.

It would be better to wait until the Careers broke up before I tried anything. I knew enough about fights not to start one when I was outnumbered. I'd settle this solo.

* * *

Theo Kasius

It was good having Valerie back. I felt like a real pack again when she, Careen, Karyssa and I all set out to hunt. Angelo stayed behind to guard the camp. He never was as enthusiastic as the rest of us, but that just meant he'd be easier to kill when the time came. I expected it would be easier to find the other Tributes this year, since they'd be weak with dehydration. I was ready to get it done. I wanted to get back home to Suki. My family too, of course, but they understood why I'd left. Suki was a dog.

We wound have found them anyway, but the sound of a falling rock told me precisely where our targets were. The pack and I pressed down the rocky corridor until two Tributes became visible. High up in the rocks, so high we could barely see him, was the boy from Five. Down on the ground, and a much more tempting target, was the boy from Eleven.

* * *

Hoban Tam

Ventrix was out of sight, and nothing could have made me happier. She'd excused herself to take care of some lady stuff, and Kerry and I politely declined to ask what that meant. Kerry was so far up the cliff I didn't think an arrow could reach him. They were both safe. I was the one that was toast.

I ran toward a split in the path, hoping to reach the side of the fork that Ventrix hadn't taken. Theo's arrow stopped me and I fell. He must not have been as good with a bow as he was with an axe, because it didn't kill me. I looked back and saw the female Careers clustering under Kerry's cliff while he threw rocks at them. None of them paid attention to me. I was Theo's prey.

I tried to get up, and I made it to my feet even as another arrow hit me in the chest. I leaned forward and charged at Theo before he could shoot again. He easily threw me to the side and took out his axe. I grabbed his leg with both arms to get inside his strike. He hefted his axe handle higher in his hands and hit me in the back with a less forceful but still damaging blow. I grabbed the bottom of the handle and tried to haul myself up to face him. He head-butted me and I lost my grip. He drew the axe back for a mighty blow and it crashed into my ribs. It laid me open like a split log. My breath sucked and bubbled as I tried to get up and fight more. Theo's face was flecked with my blood, and it grew redder with each strike. There was hardly anything holding me together, and soon there wasn't anything at all.

* * *

Ventrix Webb

Even with the puddle, I could tell we were still dehydrated. I only hoped the cameras weren't on me when I checked to see. I was pulling up my pants when I heard Hoban cry out. I didn't want to rush in before I knew what was going on, so I crept nearer the fork in the rocks that separated us and peeked around.

I knew at once that all was lost. Theo was walking toward Hoban, who was stretched on the ground with an arrow in his back. The other Careers were behind him. There was no escape.

I'd always hated giving things away. I used to hoard bits of newspaper or pieces of metal I'd found around the fields, just in case I needed them someday. I hated the permanence of throwing something away and the change it entailed. Hoban was the most important thing in my life, but that didn't change what I had to do. I'd taken the machete with me in case I got attacked at the worst possible time. I crept back to where I'd left it, picked it up, and fled silently down the corridor. I tried to lock the worst of the feelings away until I was safe, but there was so much I couldn't contain.

* * *

 **14th place: Hoban Tam- Shot and axed by Theo**

 **Hoban and Ventrix were sent in as friends, but there was something different about them. Their submitters noted that though they were best friends, they wouldn't die for each other. That was unique and also realistic, especially in-universe since Katniss said usually even siblings don't volunteer. I knew one or the other would abandon their friend when the time came. As far as the Games go, Ventrix was stronger both in skills and mentally, so it made sense for her to live. She does dearly miss Hoban, though, and she'll be different without him. Thanks Lisaisanut for Hoban. I always know you'll make good Tributes and leave erudite comments.**


	38. The Evil Spirit That Devours Mankind

Granja Valdez

We were almost halfway through the Games. It was good we'd made it so far, but each death also made us a bigger target to the Careers. Even if we kept moving, it was almost inevitable that they'd find us eventually. I didn't think I had it in me to kill someone, even if they attacked me. I'd probably freeze up and die. Peach was stronger than I was when it came to that.

The trap was my idea, but it wouldn't have worked without both of us. We climbed up as high as we dared and squished behind a rock teetering on the edge of a cliff. It must have been there for years, but it was close enough to the edge that a good push would topple it over. The plan was to just wait until someone came by, but there was more to it than that. If it was someone nice, like the boy from Five or the two girl allies, I'd never have been able to push it. Maybe for the dangerous girl from Eleven, but probably not then either. Peach would be on her own.

That led me to the next idea. Peach could dislodge the rock on her own. I wasn't ready yet, but if I had to, I could be much more useful as bait. Then I wouldn't be the one springing the trap, and it made me feel a little better even though it was my idea and I was helping. I could say I was just running away, and whoever we got only died because they were trying to kill me. If I kept making the rationalization longer and more complex, it might eventually start making sense.

* * *

Titus Gein

That horrible noise was back. One person had already died, and I couldn't imagine that thing wasn't going to add to the toll. The calls were fitting in these surroundings. This was a place of murder and suffering. Maybe the Gamemakers didn't even design the animal. It might have arisen from the evil of the Games. I wanted to run, but it was moving so fast I didn't know which way to go.

The moon was at its back when it appeared, outlining it and illuminating it. The mutt, if that's what it was, was seven feet tall and so thin the light penetrated its grey-yellow skin. Its pelt was stretched so tight all its bones were visible, and some of them poked out of the skin. The bones shifted and clacked as the creature breathed, and the eyes in its head were so sunken only the reflected light told me they were there. Its lips were tattered and bloody, and it nibbled on the dangling strips of flesh as it regarded me. It was covered in sores and blood oozed from two splintered antlers that didn't grow from its head but looked like they'd been shoved in from outside so deeply that they were embedded. It reeked of damp rot and infected wounds.

I heard the creature chasing me as I ran. It looked so gaunt I didn't know how it had the energy. It ran after me like it was dying and I was its last chance at a meal. It barked, an exhaling noise like a hollow cough that ended in a low rumble. I knew I couldn't escape, and the seconds of knowledge were worse than what would happen when it caught me.

A cold hand caught my arm and spun me around. I pulled back and the creature reared over me, bearing me to the ground. It bent closer and tore into my cheek with its teeth. It ripped out a strip of flesh and swallowed it. As it came back for more, it bones fell slack and crumpled. Its skin disintegrated, leaving me alone on the ground covered with bits of bone and a layer of dust.

I didn't move for a long time. My cheek stung and I felt my breath sliding across the hole as I panted. I felt empty, and then I was hungrier than I'd ever been.

* * *

Electra Magneta

I ran my fingers over one of the spines as I nibbled on a chunk of cactus. It was like food and drink all at once. Desiree and I would be taken care of for at least a few days, judging by the size of the plant. I couldn't believe how lucky we were. A few more hours and it may have been too late.

It was harder to be optimistic the longer the Games lasted. It seemed inevitable that our luck would run out eventually. Des might win- she was strong and tough- but I couldn't last as long as she could. I'd protect her as well as I could with the few weapons I had, but she'd be better off after I was gone, no matter what she said.

Just being in the Arena was breaking me down. I'd always been frail. I'd noticed my Arena outfit hanging more loosely on my body. My bones hurt like I was an old woman, and I always felt tired. My spells were coming more frequently- hardly a night went by that I didn't wake up in a cold sweat, remembering things that happened years ago. My mouth was sore and my teeth felt wobbly, like they were falling out. I'd already lost one. I buried it in the sand so it wouldn't scare Des.

I focused on all the reasons I had to win. Most of all, there was Synthi. I could make a better life for her and take her away from all the troubles at home. I could leave all that behind and start everything new. But doing that would mean Des would have to die, and she deserved to win more than I did.

It all made me so tired. I didn't want to think or worry. Des and I didn't have to move. We could just stay by the cactus. This was a good place.


	39. Long Pork

**First off, a note: This chapter is nasty.**

 **I didn't make up the mutt. It should be getting clearer what it was.**

* * *

Kerry Samosa

The Careers clustered beside the cliff I was perched on. Careen tried to climb, but the precarious rocks shifted under her feet and she slid back down on her belly. She dabbed at her scraped stomach with her shirt as the others made similarly unsuccessful attempts.

I didn't really have to be scared. I was far too high for them to follow me. The crevice in the rocks would keep me out of the sun and the puddle inside it would keep be going for days. I could stay as long as I needed. But that didn't dull the horror of watching what they did to Hoban and seeing the hovercraft come for him a few minutes later. I threw some rocks at the gathered Careers and hit Theo on the arm. They moved back after that and it was a stalemate.

I grew restless after night fell. It wasn't a good idea to try to wait out the Careers in just about any Arena. I could wait, but they could wait longer. They could leave one to guard me while the others went back to the Cornucopia for supplies. Waiting for death wasn't in my temperament. I preferred to move.

It was almost completely dark as I started to climb. Luckily, my path was illuminated by the flashlight Valerie was pointing at me. I hoped to be able to get out of sight behind a rock and climb around the spires until I lost them.

The rocks were a lot less visible in the dark. What looked like a foothold turned out to be a shadow. Valerie's flashlight caught me as I dropped through the air, bouncing off an outcropping and scraping against any rocks in my way. I was hidden from view when I hit the ground, but I heard the cheers.

I didn't know what all was broken, but it was a lot. I couldn't move, and worse, I couldn't feel my injuries. I looked up at the cloudless sky and pondered the perfectness of it. My favorite thing in the world killed me. I wasn't dead yet, but the Careers weren't even bothering to come for me. They were right.

* * *

Valerie Lenn

"Shouldn't we go look for him?" I asked. It made me queasy to think of Jason lying at the bottom of a cliff somewhere, broken and waiting for death to stop the pain. I'd want someone to finish him off if I was watching at home.

"He'll be dead before we find him," Theo said. Careen was still picking bits of dirt and rock from her shirt. A cannon proved them both right, and I could rest easy.

* * *

Titus Gein

Aching, stabbing hunger seized me body and mind. I wanted to rip chunks of flesh off my own body to stop the urge. It felt like my stomach was trying to tear itself out of my body in order to digest something. I hunched forward and stumbled as I walked, my fingers running through the dirt like claws.

I drooled when I saw the fallen boy. A vague concern flitted across my mind, but I saw his gleaming flesh and my mouth fell open in a grin. A noise like a rumbling bark came from me as I ran closer to him. He was covered in sticky, honeylike blood. The rips in his skin displayed sleek, glistening meat, meat like I hadn't seen in eternities.

The boy was alive. He moved as I came closer. He saw me and tried to scoot back with his arms. I couldn't eat with him squirming like that. I picked up a rock the size of my head and held it up it both arms. I dropped it and it broke his head like an egg. He jerked once more as his cannon went off.

I tore at his shirt and pressed my face to his chest. The flesh tore away in a strip as I gnawed it free from his body. It was warm and sticky and deliciously filling. It squished and squelched as I fed the hunger. I pressed my mouth into the feast and it smeared across my face like a pig eating slop.

I ate and ate, but the hunger didn't stop. I couldn't eat fast enough to quench my appetite. I went through stringy meat and reached soft innards, but still it wasn't enough. There was nothing but insatiable hunger. All the world wasn't enough.

* * *

Demarcus

I couldn't believe it. I was coming down with a cold. My nose was runny, my head hurt, and I was sore all over. It wasn't enough to be bothersome, but it was still frustrating. The only real problem was that water was going through me faster than normal, so I was careful to up my intake.

Another cannon had gone off, bringing us halfway through the Games. Theo was still there. The rest I didn't care about. I had to lie low at least a couple of days anyway until the cold blew over. I had plenty of water. I'd taken to throwing rocks at the lizards that skittered by every now and then, and sometimes I got lucky. I ate them raw, since there was hardly anything to burn. I worried they'd make me sick, but I'd been lucky so far. Except the stupid cold.

Like most of the Tributes, I spent the time I wasn't scared for my life thinking about what I'd do if I won. I couldn't go back to my old circle. Anyone who thought he was stronger than me would try to pick a fight and take whatever he could. I couldn't blend like I used to. I'd be part of an entirely new class. I couldn't see myself as one of the upper crust, with all their fancy clothes and mannerisms. I'd be stuck in the Victor's Village and have to hobnob with snobs from the Capitol. Maybe I'd invite the rest of my urchin friends over. The village wouldn't stand long with us in there.

I wasn't kidding anyone. I didn't have any friends. Anyone I invited over would only come because I was rich. I was stuck with the other Victors. Acee was so much older than me. Wiress was... sort of weird. Maybe Beetee would hang out with me. He was older too, but not _that_ much older. He could be my cool big brother. He knew all that smart stuff, but I could show him how to punch someone. That's how friends are made.

* * *

 **13th place: Kerry Samosa- Killed and eaten by Titus**

 **Titus finally has his first victim. I've been waiting to get to unleash him. I didn't want to jump the gun, but now the fun, or really the exact opposite, can start. But back to Kerry. Kerry was cool. He was originally a girl, so thanks to the submitter for being flexible. I already knew the Arena when I got him, so that gave me a laugh. I liked how bold and adventurous Kerry was. His form noted he would die by falling off a cliff, which was too good to pass up. I only had Titus finish it because the books specified he killed his victims. Anyway, thanks Tracelyn for Kerry. If he wasn't reckless enough to climb mountains without rope, he might have lasted longer.**

 **Valerie's POV doesn't really count toward her POV count because it's so short. I just needed something to show why the Careers didn't go after Kerry.**


	40. Cannons and Whistles

**Kerry Selmosa-** Titus Gein

The boy in the sky looked so big, but why was he only a head? There wouldn't be as much meat that way.

* * *

 **Hoban Tam-** Ventrix Webb

I didn't know what to feel first. I thought of the future I wouldn't have with Hoban and the pain I felt when I watched him die. I relived moments with him, before and during the Games. Some Tributes would have wanted revenge, but that was useless. It wouldn't bring him back.

* * *

Sky Levings

Nothing like this had ever happened before. We never thought something in the Games could shock even the Gamemakers. No one would ever forget this year.

I wasn't surprised Quiola died early. She didn't have the cruelty to win. Kerry didn't either, but he might have won on skills alone. But luck chooses Victors more often than we want to admit.

* * *

District Five

When Quiola died, we mourned quietly. We'd known it was coming. Kerry was another story. The Arena was made for him. Everything stopped when we watched him fall. What happened next set the District ablaze. People were rioting in the streets and demanding justice. But there's no justice in Panem.

* * *

Desiree Redwood

She shouldn't be so light. It was like carrying a baby. I held Electra in my arms as I desperately stumbled through the Arena. She needed more. The cactus wasn't enough. We couldn't live off of a handful of leaves. She was blowing away like sand in my arms.

"It's okay. I'm going to find us food," I said. I didn't want to panic again. I had to come through for her. It was all on me. I'd tried begging. Acee and Sequioa either didn't hear or didn't have any money left. There was nothing to do. There was nowhere to go.

 _I'll go to the Cornucopia._ There was food there. I'd take Electra to the Cornucopia and we'd hide just out of sight. We'd wait for them to go hunting and I'd take some of their food. They'd have tons of it. Everything would be all right again.

Her breath shouldn't rattle like that. She shouldn't be so still when I was running over rocks and potholes and jostling her. I'd been trying to keep her steady, but there wasn't time. I was sprinting towards the Cornucopia, hoping I hadn't gotten myself lost or turned around. It didn't matter if they were there. She needed food.

* * *

Electra Magenta

It was funny how Des was carrying me. I was like a baby. I didn't mind it, though. It was better than sleeping on the hard ground.

I wasn't going back to my family. That was good. This would have happened eventually anyway. She would have hit me too hard or I would have decided to stop the hurt the only way I could. It was better here with someone who cared about me.

"Des," I said. I could hardly get the word out. Des gasped.

"You're okay!" she said. She slowed to a walk. "We're going to get food."

"That's good. Thank you for being a friend," I said. Des stopped and clutched me closer to her. She dropped to her knees and her arms shook. Her tears dropped onto my face.

"No, you just need some food," she said. She was so strong. After I was gone, she'd get back up and keep walking.

"Hug my sister for me if you win," I said. I'd never felt safer. Her arms were strong around me. She'd give Synthi a good hug, just like she was giving me.

* * *

 **12th place: Electra Magneta- Starvation and malnutrition**

 **I thought about killing Electra in the Bloodbath, but I liked her and Des together. If they'd come across the Careers, Electra may have been able to defend the pair with her inventions, but you can't make water out of steel. Her form noted she was malnourished, and with her tiny frame it didn't take long for her to burn all her reserves. Sad as it is, her life in the Arena was probably better than back home. The only thing she'd miss was Synthi. She made a friend and at least didn't get eaten by Titus. Thanks tinks for filling in a slot with Electra and making her good. Des is still going strong and now really has a better chance, much as she'd prefer to have Electra instead.**


	41. Taboo

**Warning: Titus**

* * *

Granja Valdez

It was too cramped behind the rock to sleep up there, so Peach and I went back to the ground. The Anthem had already played, and the moon was getting lower in the sky. Soon it would be daylight again, and I was glad for it. Every now and then we heard that animal calling, and it made us nervous.

I liked to wait until dark to take care of business. Hopefully then the cameras wouldn't see as much, not that anyone probably wanted to anyway. I turned a corner in the rocks and almost hit another Tribute.

Something was terribly wrong with him. He must have been horribly wounded. The blood that splattered his front shone black in the moonlight. Spit ran down his face and he was smiling, even though he must have been near death. I wanted to help, but at the same time, I was afraid. Then he coughed, and it was a horrible, rumbling noise I'd heard before.

My throat closed as I turned to run. I heard the boy's footsteps running after me, and then he jumped on me. I scraped at the dirt with my fingers and tried to haul myself out from under him. He yanked at my shirt. I thought he was pulling with his hands, but the breath on my neck told me it was his teeth. I wanted to yell for Peach, but a horrible pain in the side of my head took my breath away. The next blow took my life. Whatever they'd done to the boy, I hoped they ended it soon.

* * *

Peach Unk

First the cannon scared me half to death. Then I saw Granja wasn't next to me and that scared me the rest of the way to death. I grabbed our pocketknife from the pack and charged off. I knew she was close by because I heard the slurping. I knew I was too late, and when I found her, I was glad she was dead. Nobody should be alive in that condition.

It was the boy from Six that did it. When he saw me, he hunched over Granja and growled like a wolf. His eyes glittered as he examined me. He vaulted over her and ran at me. I backed away out of fear and shock, but I held out my blade in readiness. As he came closer, I swiped my knife across his face. It tore open the already gaping hole in his cheek, but he didn't flinch. He plowed into me and tried to bite me before he'd even wounded me. I shoved him back and stuck the knife into his ribs, but it was short and the blade was flimsy. It would take ages to kill anyone with it, and the boy wasn't going to stop until he was in pieces. He was so ghastly and animalistic I didn't want him anywhere near me.

I looked at Granja over his shoulder. I couldn't do anything for her. If I didn't run, the boy would harry me until I was exhausted. I wanted it to be a better end for her. At least I could draw him away. Then the hovercraft would come before he savaged her more.

The boy ran after me for a step, then stopped. I saw him hesitate and look back at Granja. He ran back to her and grabbed her by one arm. He looked back at me and tried to follow with Granja dragging behind him.

There was nothing left to do but run.

* * *

Karyssa Evans

Something was in the air. None of the Careers were on edge, and we were doing great. Half the Tributes were gone and all we'd lost was Hiyas, to no one's dismay. But something was in the air. I seemed to be the only one who was nervous, but someone else was planning something. I didn't want them to find out I suspected.

Maybe it was because of Angelo. He'd recovered from his wounds, but he still hadn't gone out on any hunts. He guarded the camp, and he never seemed excited when we watched our victims flash in the sky. He was the strangest Career I'd ever met. He should have been a doctor, not a gladiator.

But it wasn't necessarily him. It could have been any of us. Maybe Valerie, with her bone-chilling stories and love for anything gory. Maybe Careen, who looked like a model but killed like a panther. Maybe Theo, probably the strongest of us and probably aware of it.

Or maybe it was the water. It was almost gone. We had maybe enough to finish out the night. That was far and away enough to split the alliance. If we didn't have water, the game had changed. We were fighters, not bushmen. I might have been able to find water in a forest, but not here. Here, it wouldn't take three days to die.

Careers solved problems by fighting. Lack of water was a problem. We were sitting on an Arena as dry as straw, and when the spark went off, we had nothing to douse it.

* * *

Valerie Lenn

"We need a way to ration this," I said, holding up our water keg. Obviously, someone had to take charge. We couldn't spend all our time killing people. We had to keep ourselves alive too.

"We have plenty of sponsors. It's not the end of the world," Careen said.

"From now on, each of us gets two cups per day. It'll last three days that way," I said. Karyssa stood up with her arms folded.

"Yeah, but _we_ won't. We can't live off that. And who made you boss? You can't tell us how much to drink," she said. We stared each other down as the others took sides.

"There's hardly anything left. We need some sort of plan," Angelo said. I was glad I had his support, even if he was the weakest Career.

"When you're thirsty, you have to drink. We've had people lost at sea who died with full canteens because they wanted to save their supplies," Careen said.

"We can still drink. We just have to be careful," I said. It seemed I'd jumped into thing a little too forcefully, but I was _right._ I wasn't going to back down.

I could feel the tension rising. Alliances had broken up over less. I held the keg in front of me. Nobody would attack if they might puncture it.

"Everyone just hold on," Theo said. "We all have good points. How about this: we all drink one glass with each meal? When it's all gone, we can drink from the cans. After that, we'll see what happens."

"Some of probably won't get that far," I said as a parting shot. I set the keg down, and the air cooled. Clearly, it was about time for me to go. Things wouldn't stay peaceful long. I didn't want to be around when the shots started.

* * *

Demarcus POV

There was a bottle of purple syrup inside the sponsor package. I drank some and right away, my nose started to clear. It was nice being able to breathe again. My headache dulled and my joints stopped aching so bad.

It felt good to have a sponsor. I wondered if the package came from Three or Eight. Someone out there wanted me to win. Even if I never met him, it was good to have a friend.

* * *

 **11th place: Granja Valdez- Killed and eaten by Titus**

 **A lot of people were surprised Granja made it this far. Mostly it was because I had her marked for Titus, since she was small and vulnerable enough, and she had to live until he got attacked by the Wendigo. I liked Granja, despite the way I killed her. She was nice and sweet, but that didn't make her a pushover. She was devoted and selfless enough to risk her life to get supplies for her alliance. Thanks Datboi for Granja. She may have been last minute, but she wasn't a halfhearted submission.**

 **Electra was already underweight and malnourished when she went in, despite the Gamemaker's attempts to fatten her up. She'd been in the Arena seven days when she died. Usually starvation takes three weeks, but it was combined with dehydration, exhaustion, and heatstroke. I also did truncate the time needed for death because the Games would be boring if I wrote about two deathless weeks, but that's pretty much what happened in the book.**

 **You can all get some comfort out of the fact that Katniss mentioned Titus was stunned so they could collect the bodies. He's really upset about that, since he never gets to finish his meals.**


	42. Boiling Point

Chimera Ilium

I couldn't stop crying. I didn't know things like this happened in Panem. It was monstrous. It was sickening. Diggory was the sweetest, dearest boy I'd ever met. If he'd only lived, I'd have adopted him myself and I would have loved him forever. I only knew him a few days, but he never left my mind. I loved how he pulled me behind him, eager to know the names for everything. I wanted to be with him on the train again when he tugged on my buttons and my earring. I wanted him back.

How could things like this happen? We were _people_ here, not animals. What that boy did to Granja- it turned my stomach. Why did they do it? We knew they were in charge. They kept Panem together. They didn't have to do this. I watched a boy tear a girl apart and eat the broken bits. I watched a boy who never hurt anyone scream with terror. They didn't have to do that to Diggory.

* * *

District Nine

Forty years the Games had been going on. This was the hardest one yet. First there was a boy who never had a childhood. The Games took his adulthood as well. We knew Granja would die, but not like that. Nothing like that had ever happened before. It was a new low, even in Panem. Nobody was going to forget this year.

* * *

Theo Kasius

We had one day left. After that, we all knew it was over. We huddled around the keg as Careen exactingly poured the same amount of water into five tin cups. We all examined the contents.

"Everyone all right? They're even?" Careen asked. Nobody protested. Each of us sat by our cup, but no one moved to drink. It was obvious what we were thinking. That much water wouldn't last any of us any decent amount of time. If the others weren't around, there would be more water for the survivors. It was less obvious, but nearly as clear, that we all had the same target in mind.

I didn't want to start a fight with all of us sitting so close together. Anything could happen in such close range. Careen, in particular, would have an advantage with her short knives. I moved slowly as I picked up my cup.

"Here's to us," I said, and I swallowed the water. The fragile peace remained as the others looked at each other and made their decisions. Valerie was about to drink her serving when I fell back onto the ground. A horrible exploding pain burst from my chest and I gasped. Something stopped the air from hitting my lungs, and foam oozed from my mouth.

He knew. He knew all along we were all gunning for him. If he didn't win, nobody was going to. The others clustered around me, but I knew it was too late. I had to hand it to Angelo. He was in it for the long con, and it had worked out perfectly.

* * *

Karyssa Evans

"You _poisoned_ it!" I screamed at Angelo. Theo was flopping on his back as white foam smeared across his face. His cannon went off in seconds.

The cannon wasn't even done echoing before the next one was loaded. Valerie stuck her knife through Angelo's ribs before he could even stand. I wasn't going to let an opportunity pass, even in such chaos, and I stabbed her in the back with my sword. I stood over Angelo and berated him as Valerie lay dying.

"You stupid idiot! What were you going to do when we were dead, drink the rest of it? Now you've killed us all!" I yelled. He flashed me a maddening grin and his cannon sounded before I could make him pay. Careen bolted the second before Theo's cannon sounded, grabbed a pack, and ducked behind the Cornucopia to avoid any ranged attacks. I'd have gone after her if I hadn't been so mad at Angelo.

Valerie wasn't dead yet. I thought I couldn't be more surprised, but then she started whimpering. It was a cowardly, whining noise like I'd expect from a weakling from Twelve, not a seasoned Career. She started to cry and I was so dumbfounded I just stared at her for a minute.

"No, please! I don't want to die! Please don't!" she begged. I would have been disgusted if it wasn't so bizarre. The only explanation was that she'd drunk some of the poison and it attacked her brain. I'd kill her quick before she embarrassed herself more.

* * *

Angelo Tempest

Any one of them could have walked off with the last of our water if they'd taken a second to think. How stupid did they think I was? I didn't poison the water. I poisoned the _cups._

I took out one of them. The rest wouldn't last long without water. Let the meek inherit the Earth.

* * *

Valerie Lenn

I was dying. I could feel the blood flooding my lungs. Even if I rallied and took Karyssa down with me, it wouldn't save me. But I didn't want to go that way. I'd lost my chance to save myself. There was still someone else I could save. If Jason saw me bravely getting to my feet and fighting, he'd want to finish what I started. I couldn't let the Games be that for him.

"No, please! I don't want to die! Please don't!" I begged, forcing my voice as shrill and pathetic as it could be. I thrashed and scooted myself back, cowering away from Karyssa's sword. I let my eyes and nose run and gave away every scrap of dignity I had. Karyssa looked at me with more confusion than contempt, but I knew she'd get the job done.

I left no stone unturned. I begged, wailed, whimpered, and let a stain spread across my pants as I dragged out my last few minutes. When Karyssa stabbed me in the throat, I knew she was trying to make it quick. I dragged it out as many last seconds as I could so the camera would hear me gurgling and gasping for breath. I didn't want anyone to look away.

My dignity and honor weren't as important as Jason. Let him hate me and despise me. Let him think the sister he idolized was a sniveling coward. Anything to turn him away from the Games. He'd see our shared dream amounted to nothing but a shrieking girl begging for one more second. The Academy would never let him volunteer after the disgrace I brought the District. For Jason, I would become anathema.

* * *

Careen Ellis

I didn't want to get mixed up in that. It's good to win battles, but better to avoid them. When I saw the water was poisoned, I saw I'd already won half the war. All the Careers knew about hunting and fighting, but not all of us knew about surviving. The Hunger Games were about to live up to their name, and it was my time to shine.

Our supplies were sorted in bags that lined the Cornucopia. I didn't need the food. That would run out. Teach a man to fish, he eats forever. I took the bag of survival supplies- the stuff we didn't think we need and tossed in a bag so it wouldn't litter our camp. I ran around the Cornucopia to avoid Karyssa's arrows or spears and ran like a rabbit into the rocks.

Three cannons went off for the battle. I heard Valerie's wails and wondered what I was missing. She was stronger than that. I'd seen candidates break in the Academy, but that wasn't her. Whatever happened, I was sorry that was the way she'd be remembered.

Three cannons meant me and Karyssa. Me, Karyssa, the outliers, and the Arena. And I was the only one prepared to fight them all.

* * *

 **10th place: Theo Kasius- cyanide poisoning by Angelo**

 **Theo was levelheaded and strategic enough to try to quell the tensions so he could escape at a better time. Unfortunately, drinking first meant he was the one who got the poison. Had they all gone together, as Angelo expected, he would have wiped them out in one swoop. Theo was a good, sturdy Career who didn't regret what he did like a lot of Careers I get and yet wasn't so cruel that we couldn't like him at all. Thanks to AturtlenamedConnor. Theo defied pigeonholing and was harder to write and more fulfilling to portray because of it.**

 **9th place: Angelo Tempest- stabbed by Valerie  
Really it takes longer to die from a stab wound, but there was no need to make it unnecessarily drawn out. Angelo was a quandary. He was a Career who hated bullies. In the end he resolved it by turning against his own in an act that, had it fully succeeded, would have been legendary. As it was, he caused the death of two Careers and severely lessened Karyssa's chances. I've had this in mind for a long time, and now I finally reached the right point. Thanks PrinceofCorinth for Angelo. He was unique among Careers and I get a lot of repeats in strategy, but I've never had anyone like Angelo.**

 **8th place: Valerie Lenn- Stabbed by Karyssa**

 **I've had this in mind for a long time as well. I'm sure you were all shocked when Val went yellow like that, but now you know it was an act. She loved Jason so much she was willing to be a dog for him. I can't take credit, since this is a very similar storyline to an old movie called Angels with Dirty Faces (which I really like). Valerie went back and forth as the Games went on between heroism and villainy, but in the end she found something Careers almost never do: integrity. Thanks ItsaCatsWorld for Valerie. Panem may not recognize it, but that was one of the noblest and bravest things in Games history.**


	43. Final Seven Interviews

Ava Hanson

I was supposed to be mad about what Valerie did. I didn't know the whole story, but I remembered the way she acted the night before the Games. Pray was furious, but I knew she had a reason. Pray doesn't understand that some things are more important.

* * *

District Two

Four was lucky we didn't share a border. We were ready to start a war. Those dirty fishmongers handed the Games to the pathetic outliers. Theo deserved better. Every day Suki waited by the door for him. She was still hopeful when she died years later, her back against that same door.

Valerie was worse than Angelo. We'd never forget how much she degraded us. Jason was expelled from the Academy the day she died. He pounded at the doors and screamed, but he wasn't one of us anymore. He cursed her name and wondered what went wrong.

He went to see the place she'd been buried a few days after she arrived. Someone had knocked the headstone over and defiled it. He stood it back up and knelt by her grave.

* * *

 _ **The Capitol Tattler**_

 _Juicy Tell-All Revealed! Leaked Documents Show Original Final Interviews_

Hello Panamaniacs! I'm roving reporter Felicia Trice, and have I got some dirt for you! My sources in the Capitol just got me this red-hot content, and of course I sent it straight to press! Be the first among your friends to know the latest scoop, before the interviews are even out!

 _Original Transcript: Final_ _Eight_ _(Seven) Interviews_

 _Polyphemus:_ Mrs and Mrs Evans, I'm sure you're very excited about Karyssa's performance so far.

 _Erin Evans_ : We're not at all surprised. We knew Karyssa would get this far.

 _Loria Evans:_ We also know she'll win.

 _Polyphemus:_ I'm sure you're right. Did Karyssa always want to fight in the Games?

 _Erin Evans:_ She was always a fighter, but when she was very little, she actually wanted to be a veterinarian.

 _Loria Evans:_ I told her she had to choose the Light or Dark side.

 _Polyphemus:_ Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your daughter?

 _Erin Evans:_ Can you take care of that disgusting boy?

 _Loria Evans:_ She won't want to. She loves animals.

 _They both blow kisses at the camera_

* * *

 _Polyphemus:_ Mrs. DeMarcos, how has it been having your son in the Games?

 _Mrs. DeMarcos:_ Same as always.

 _Polyphemus:_ You don't even seem upset!

 _Mrs. DeMarcos:_ Hadn't seen the boy in weeks.

 _Mr. DeMarcos:_ He's been running with a tough crowd. He's hardly ever home.

 _Polyphemus:_ Surely you're worried?

 _Mr. DeMarcors:_ He's lived this long.

 _Polyphemus:_ Uh... Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your son?

 _Mrs. DeMarcos:_ If he was here. Not to a camera. You know he can't hear us?

* * *

 _Polyphemus:_ What do you think of your daughter's strategy in the Games?

 _Mr. Ellis:_ It's a little odd. Usually we prefer to face our battles head-on in Four.

 _Patrick Ellis:_ I don't care, as long as it gets her back.

 _Coral Ellis:_ Yeah, you gotta fight smarter.

 _Polyphemus:_ I hadn't thought of that. What does Careen do when she's not training?

 _Patrick Ellis:_ She smooches Aiden.

 _Mrs. Ellis:_ Trick! She does a little of everything. When she's not working, she likes to watch the sunsets. She has such an eye for beauty.

 _Polyphemus:_ Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your daughter?

 _Mrs. Ellis:_ We miss you. Come home soon.

 _Patrick Ellis:_ Nobody's washed the deck since you left. It smells.

* * *

 _Polyphemus:_ Mrs. Gein, what's it been like watching your son in the Games?

 _Mrs. Gein:_ Please go away.

 _Mr. Gein:_ We have nothing to say. Please let us be.

 _Polyphemus:_ Titus has been causing quite a stir. Any thoughts on the controversy?

 _Mrs. Gein begins to cry._

 _Mr. Gein:_ Get out of here, you ghoul. Haven't you done enough?

 _Mrs. Gein:_ We're so sorry to everyone Titus hurt. He's not like this. Please...

 _Mr. Gein:_ It's all right, dear.

 _Polyphemus:_ Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your son?

 _Mrs. Gein:_ Please just go.

* * *

 _Polyphemus:_ Desiree has been doing a very good job so far.

 _Malthus Redwood:_ Wait until she has to fight. She's going to tear them apart. _I_ taught her.

 _Polyphemus:_ We were all very touched by your daughter's alliance with Electra. Were you surprised?

 _Mr. Redwood:_ Des has always been a loyal friend. She has many girlfriends.

 _Malthus Redwood:_ Bet your butt she does.

 _Mrs. Redwood:_ Desiree is a very loving young woman.

 _Polyphemus:_ Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your daughter?

 _Mrs. Redwood:_ We're very proud of you. Please come home soon.

 _Mr. Redwood:_ Do what you have to. It's all right.

 _Malthus Redwood:_ Kick their butts!

* * *

 _Polyphemus:_ Mr. Webb, it's not often someone from Eleven lasts so long. Are you surprised?

 _Mr. Webb:_ What do you expect me to say to that?

 _Mrs. Webb:_ Dear.

 _Polyphemus:_ Hoban and Vextrix must have been very close.

 _Mrs. Webb:_ They've been inseparable for years. He's... he was always there for her.

 _Polyphemus:_ How do you think Vextrix will win?

 _Husan Webb:_ Because she's not scared! She won't be because I gave her the don't be scared book.

 _Polyphemus:_ That was very thoughtful of you. Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your daughter?

 _Mrs. Webb:_ You didn't let him down. He'll always be with you.

 _Mr. Webb:_ I love you so much, Care Bear.

* * *

 _Polyphemus:_ We hardly ever get volunteers from Twelve.

 _Mr. Unk:_ Peach never was like everyone else.

 _Polyphemus:_ What would cause someone to do something like that?

 _Mr. Unk clears his throat_

 _Mr. Unk:_ She was mad at someone.

 _Polyphemus:_ He must have really gotten in deep.

 _Mr. Unk:_ He did. He's very sorry. He wishes he could take it back.

 _Polyphemus:_ With luck she'll be home soon. Maybe she'll accept his apology. Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your daughter?

 _Mr. Unk:_ Things are going to get better. I promise.

 _Tabby Unk:_ I love you Peach and I miss you so much!

* * *

And that's the scoop, loyal readers! The Games are getting closer to their explosive conclusion. Even I can't write something more exciting than that! I can't wait to see it.

 _Felicia Trice_

* * *

 **I alter my flow whenever I can because it keeps things fun. I always found interviews boring because they're always going to be the same thing. I did the "leak" format so we could see an undoctored transcript that hadn't been smoothed out yet and still contained mistakes and things that would be edited out.**


	44. Hiss

**Theo Kasius-** Demarcus

 _No!_

Theo couldn't be dead! He couldn't be dead because I was going to kill him! He took Blaise and I was going to hunt him to the ends of the Earth!

"Bring him back! I know you can! Bring him back and let me kill him!" I yelled at the picture. I'd hardly thought about winning, just my mission. Victory meant nothing without it.

* * *

 **Valerie Lenn-** Karyssa Evans

I looked away from the picture not out of disgust, but from respect. Something went wrong with Valerie. It was cruel for the Capitol to do that. We loved them. We fought their battles. They had the power to put things in the Arena that messed with our heads, but why Valerie? All we wanted was death with honor. They shouldn't have stolen that.

* * *

 **Angelo Tempest-** Careen Ellis

He thought he had us pinned. I didn't need a few cupfuls of water. I was no one-trick pony. He played himself right out of the Games.

* * *

Vextrix Webb

Now that there was only me, I had plenty of water. The Gamemakers had left us a trickling waterfall maybe a foot wide and twenty feet high. I was the first to find it. Lucky me. Lucky me with no allies and a dead best friend. Kerry was gone, too. The Careers must have found a way to climb up after him.

The Careers broke up while I was at my new camp. Only two were left. If I ran across one, there was a slim chance I'd live. I had water and food, and at this point they'd be running low. I wouldn't attack, but if I was cornered I might actually live.

It wasn't a Career that found me. It was the punk girl from Twelve. She was carrying a clanking sack that sounded like it was filled with cans. If I'd had any interest in it, I might have asked her to ally with me.

I was standing under the waterfall getting a drink when she saw me. I couldn't afford to lose my new supply, but I didn't want to fight if I didn't have to. The girl startled and looked me over.

"I need some water," she said.

"So go find some. Don't you have enough?" I asked, pointing at her cans.

"They're almost gone. Just let me get some water and I'll go," she said. I considered it, but there was only one option. I couldn't help my opponents. I couldn't help her live longer when it damaged my own chances of survival.

"You can't drink here. Go away," I said. She took out a pocketknife.

"I'll just take a bit. Let me drink and you won't get hurt," she said. I backed behind the flow, closer to the rocks. My machete was behind me, out of sight behind a rock.

When the girl got close enough, I grabbed her hand and pushed it up. It knocked her off-balance and she pulled back for a proper attack. I took up the machete in my other hand and stuck it through her stomach. She gasped and bent over as blood mingled with the water soaking her body. I pulled the machete out and brought it down full force on her head so it wouldn't drag out. I told her she couldn't drink here.

* * *

Peach Unk

I didn't think she was that strong. Guess I should have made sure I didn't bring a pocketknife to a machete fight. It sucked Tabby had to see this happen to me, but Dad would treat her better when he wasn't fighting with me all the time.

* * *

Karyssa Evans

I couldn't find the others anywhere. I hadn't had any water since before the Careers split up. In a few hours I'd have to abandon the hunt and spend all my energy trying to rehydrate.

At high noon, I gave up. I was so thirsty I popped a rock in my mouth and sucked on it so I'd make spit. I started to poke underneath rocky outcroppings and into piles of stones, hoping to find a puddle that had been protected from the sun. I scraped myself underneath a tiny culvert beneath a towering rock spire and felt the dirt for any sound of moisture. It was nice and cool out of the sun, and I appreciated the respite from the pounding heat that made my shirt feel like it was on fire.

I heard the buzzing of a bee and started to back out of the tunnel to avoid a nasty sting. I turned around for an easier exit and found myself face-to-face with a beautiful brown snake. That's when I made a fatal error.

Most people, when confronted with a snake, run for the hills. I thought it was gorgeous, and that half-second spent not shrinking away as fast as humanly possible was what did it. As I processed the fact that it wasn't a bee but a rattle, the snake shot forward and stabbed both of its fangs right into my cheek. I felt acidlike venom squirt into my flesh and shrieked. I tried to bat it away, but it shrank back before I got my arms up. I scooted out of the tunnel at top speed and crawled backwards away from it, staring at the motionless entrance.

My entire face was on fire. The area around the bite swelled up and my eyelids started to droop. We didn't have snakes in One. It was strange that something so beautiful could be so dangerous.

I couldn't believe it, but I actually felt thirstier. Water was the last thing on my mind, but my mouth was dry as a bone. When I tried to stand, my heartbeat felt so sluggish I fell back down. The impact sent fresh stabs of pain through my face. It felt like the poison went straight to my nerves and traveled through them like blood in my veins. I tried to press on the wound and dull the pain, but it was spread out over my entire body.

It was Careen's game now. I was starting to hallucinate. There was a blood-covered boy coming near me with an expression that turned my stomach. I was glad for my mothers, and also for me, that I'd be dead before he got there.

* * *

 **This whole time, the form said Vextrix. I remember thinking that would be a cooler name that Ventrix. Well no wonder. FAIL!**

 **7th place: Peach Unk- Stabbed by Vextrix**

 **Peach's form said she'd die, if she did, by attacking someone she thought was weak and getting killer by her own pitchfork. She didn't get a pitchfork in the Bloodbath and I didn't kill her by pocketknife because that would be so gross. I got close by having her attack Vextrix, who is definitely not weak. Peach was outspoken and she did things her way. She made it a long time and she didn't fizzle out. Thanks sister for Peach. She wasn't quite as popular as Silver or Daisy, and they'll both have a better chance in future All-Stars.**

 **6th place: Karyssa Evans- Bitten by a rattlesnake**

 **Karyssa's form said she'd likely die by mutt because she would think they're cute animals. I've been trying to have more natural deaths like Atala said, and this Arena fit perfectly. It all came together to make a rattlesnake attack. Karyssa was capable and strong, but her Achilles' heel did her in. Thanks Medicine Cat of the Opera for Karyssa. She was multidimensional and went further than being a simple Career. Most animals love her. It's just snakes that have to be dirtbags.**


	45. Good Riddance

**Karyssa Evans-** Careen Ellis

What happened? I'd expected for sure we'd be the last two. No one should have been able to beat her. Was there an alliance? I'd have to keep my guard up.

* * *

 **Peach Unk-** Vextrix Webb

We were down to six. The only one I knew I couldn't fight was Careen. She'd be hunting, and I should too. It was best to keep things short in this Arena. I didn't have time to waste.

* * *

 **Electra Magneta-** Des Redwood

She should have looked radiant in the sky, like she did before the Games. But she only looked scared. I never thought of her that way, but she _had_ been beautiful. I'd always seen it.

* * *

Titus Gein

I was still so hungry. I never wanted to stop eating. I could hunt all the world over until there was nothing left, and still it wouldn't be enough. I wanted more.

Every time I killed, it was gone in a flash. I would eat and tear and bite and then it would vanish. I felt as empty after as I did before.

The rocks sloped under my hands. I pulled myself up, smelling and tasting the air for any sign of food. Shapes filled the air and they knocked me down the cliff. They weren't food. They were hard and tasteless. They covered me and crushed me.

There was blood on my face. I licked it greedily and wished there was more. The rocks held me still. I wanted to move and find more to eat. All I had was blood, and then there was more of it.

I wasn't hungry anymore.

* * *

Desiree Redwood

She was holding a whistle when she died. She always liked to have something in her hand. It had her initials on it. I would have kept it, but I didn't want to take one of the only things she treasured. I moved it to her pocket so it wouldn't fall when the hovercraft came for her.

I had a one in six chance of winning. Someone like Electra could have told me the exact odds. It didn't feel like winning anymore really, but I still wanted to go home. I wanted to get away from the Arena and its scorching flat stones. I wanted to feel soft grass and the shade that came from endless trees. I wanted to leave this place and its memories behind.

I didn't feel anything but resentment when I saw the parachute. It should have gotten here before, back when we needed it. Now they tossed me a consolation prize for losing something irreplaceable.

The package was hot. The last thing I needed was more heat. It wouldn't solve anything to throw it away spitefully and starve, though. I opened it and though my heart wasn't into it, my stomach was boundlessly enthusiastic. There was a fat red hot dog in a soft-looking bun, with two lines of ketchup and mustard. Beside it was a little paper cut of potato patties and a cold can.

I put my pride away and ate the meal like I was starving, since I was. I saved the can for last, and it was wonderful. The liquid was cool and fruity and so fizzy it burned my tongue. It would probably have been healthiest to send water, but I was glad the Capitolites could be so dizzy.

There was another package off to the side. It wasn't food, so I left it until I was done. When I opened it, it was a pair of gloves.

 _Huh? Why would I want gloves?_ I thought. I put them on, and as expected, they were uncomfortably warm. But they were so thin they wouldn't have given me any protection in actual cold. They were black and covered with green lines like something out of Three. Obviously, something was up, and I tried an experiment.

I held my hands together and the lines glowed and hummed. I touched the metal container from the parachute and it sparked and flew a foot away. On a leap of faith, I touched my arm and prayed they weren't that stupid. They weren't. Nothing happened. They only zapped things that weren't me.

This would have been too easy for Electra. For me, they were just right.

* * *

DeMarcus

I couldn't avenge Blaise. That burned me up. There was no way to ever make things right, like so many other things in Panem. I needed a new goal. I couldn't avenge him, but I could still honor him. If I won, I'd get to go to Eight on my tour. I'd tell his family how brave he was and make sure they were taken care of.

Who was left? That boy from Six. I was amazed he'd made it so far. He seemed like such an egghead. I didn't anticipate any trouble from him. I didn't start fights. I just finished them. Let Careen take him out.

There was the giantess from Seven. She had it goin' on, but I wasn't her type. Far from it. So it goes. But she was a knockout in more than one way. I'd steer clear of her unless all else failed. I only fight people my own size.

The other girl from Eleven was fierce. I was strong and I knew how to fight, but she'd make me pay. She might start it, too. I saw her in training. She was stone cold.

Of course, there was Careen. She was the last Career, and that didn't happen by luck. She was by far the favorite to win. I didn't want to tangle with her, but it was inevitable unless I died some other way first. They always said it was about honor. I hoped that meant the Academy taught them fair fights. I didn't know anything about that, but I knew unfair fights. That was the only way to win, especially for me.

* * *

 **6th place: Titus Gein- Killed by rockslide**

 **We all knew it was coming since that's what the books said happened to Titus. I'd been waiting to get to the proper time to add him in. Looking closer, Katniss said it was a few years ago, so actually I jumped the gun, but such is life. As I planned the Badlands Arena, it all came together. It was a perfect match for a mutt and storyline. Titus was attacked by a Wendigo, a creature known for its insatiable hunger for human flesh and its bite, which turns the victim into another Wendigo. While the tribes that had Wendigo stories (mostly the Algonquian) didn't live precisely in the Badlands, the Capitol isn't known for cultural sensitivity. I had some freedom with Titus' personality because we only ever knew he was a cannibal. I decided to make him philosophical and introspective to enhance the contrast and because I don't get many of those. I also got to make up his last name and naturally chose Gein. It was either that or Bean, the _other_ famous cannibals. Our thanks to Suzanne Collins for Titus and everything else. **


	46. Endgames

**Titus Gein-** Des Redwood

 _That's too bad. He seemed like a nice boy._

* * *

Toby Cash

They all seem so mad. They should stop worrying so much and do some painting. There's already enough anger in the world. I get to go home soon. Then they won't be so loud.

* * *

District Six

We thought things were bad when Addie died in the Bloodbath. We thought she might be the one. We won't talk about what happened next. We didn't have a male Tribute. The Games were over for us and it was time to move on.

* * *

Vextrix Webb

A tremendous rockslide sounded from across the Arena. This time there was no cannon after it. The one last night killed Titus.

I got the idea. The Games were coming to a close and the Tributes were getting thinner. We could be out here for days, boring the Capitol by not dying, and that wouldn't do. No, the Arena would have to get smaller.

I started to move. I hoped they'd get the idea that I was trying to play along and they'd guide me gently instead of dumping a mountain on my head. I listened for tipping rocks and kept my eyes ahead of me in case they were guiding someone else the opposite way.

There was another rockslide ahead of me, and then a yelp. I seized the moment and ran forward. If someone had gotten caught in the deluge, I could kill them before they were extricated. I stopped when I saw the scene clearly.

The tall girl from Seven _had_ been hit, but she wasn't down. She was pulling her leg from a pile of rocks, and the only damage was a long scrape. She saw me coming and got into fighting position. I sized her up and ran the odds. She was much taller and stronger than I was, but my machete made our reaches even. She didn't seem to be armed. She pulled strange gloves onto her hands, leading me to believe they'd been damaged at some point.

We had to fight. She was too big a threat to leave alone. It was kill or be killed in the Arena, and she'd fight as brutally as I would. I charged first, but it was a cautious move. I was ready to dodge or stop if she threw something at me.

And she did. We were surrounded by rocks. Of course she'd throw one at me. It sailed past my head like a grenade. With her arms, it could have killed me. I swung my machete in a wide arc, not hoping for a killing blow so much as damage to start the fight off. She jumped back and avoided the blade, but the slope of the rock slide made the ground uneven and she waved her arms as she tipped backwards and tried not to fall.

I swiped my machete at her foot and she lifted it, which finished the fall. I brought the machete down at her head and she rolled to one side. She pinned the top of the blade with one hand. I reached down with my free hand for enough force to yank it from her grasp, but she grabbed my hand with her remaining one. Electricity jolted through me and I stiffened, unable to move. She pulled my hand onto the blade of the machete and my entire body seemed to snap. There was a hissing crackle as sparks shot from the blade. I smelled something burning and hoped it wasn't what I thought it was.

At last I understood emotions. Pain, sadness, fear, and regret came all at once. I was glad to leave them behind.

* * *

Careen Ellis

The others must have all thought I was going to hunt them down. They needn't have flattered themselves. I was plenty content to win by not losing. They weren't my enemy here. That was the Arena.

The first item on my agenda was water. I dug a shallow pit in the dirt with the trowel from by pack. I put a can in the bottom and spread the sheet of plastic over the hole. I held it tight with a ring of stones and put one in the middle to make a funnel shape. One wouldn't be enough, but I wasn't going to stop at one.

There weren't any fish in this Arena. Mags had said plants were easier and more nutritious anyway. I'd seen a plant I recognized as a prickly pear on my way to finding a flat area for my stills. I harvested its leaves and rested in the shade as I waited for the sun to bring me water.

Once I had water, I could attract all the meat I wanted. All the lizards and creepy crawlies and everything around here needed water, too. They'd be out looking for it, and when they found it, I'd find them.

Let the Games last forever. I'd bring the Arena to its knees. Let the others wither and waste away without water and food. I'd get stronger as they got weaker. When I was ready to hunt, there'd be nothing to stop me.

* * *

 **5th place: Vextrix Webb- Electrocuted by Des**

 **I'm not sure how strong Des's gloves are on their own, but they're worse amplified through metal. Vextrix and Des were more or less a tossup. They were both strong and capable. Des had surprise on her side and that tipped it. I liked Vextrix. I get a lot of unemotional Tributes but that wasn't all there was to her. She was a friend (in a relationship with real limitations) and she was a fighter. Thanks CarlpoppaLOL. She and Hoban were a good pair, but they were also complete on their own.**

 **Des got a hatchet after her battle and DeMarcus got some water from the same sponsor. Isn't that nice? He also finally got a last name. Demarcos was a filler since he was sent in early so I could get moving. He's finally DeMarcus King.**


	47. Endless

DeMarcus King

I had something. When I got back home, I could do something useful as my talent. I'd be rich and all, and it would be boring in the Victor's Village with the eggheads. Instead, I could start a school like they had in One and Two. The Capitol would probably get all uppity since we weren't the "good" District, but I'd toe the line. It didn't have to be an _Academy,_ exactly, just something to get kids off the streets. It would help them focus on something worthwhile and unite the gangs against the real enemy (I wouldn't mention that part, of course).

I could teach street fighting, but I'd make it respectable. It would be less about brute force and more about organization. I could learn about all the fancy styles the Careers used and instead of tearing us apart it could unite us.

There would be other classes too, but I wouldn't be as good at teaching those. Anything we could disguise as a generic life skill instead of a Career class might squeak by. We could have tech classes without raising suspicion, since that was our thing in three. Maybe Acee and Beetee would even chip in. Wiress too, if she wasn't weird about it.

There were more kids like me in Three than people knew. Most of us were smart and wiry, but there were always those few who slipped through the cracks and made their way with street smarts and not school smarts. But those kids weren't worthless or dumb, and it would make my life worthwhile if I could help them. I could help them not end up like me.

The worst part would be the politics. I wasn't a diplomat. I solved most of my problems by punching them, and I couldn't do that to the Capitol. A project like this would certainly raise their interest, and I'd be walking a fine line. It could all blow up in my face, but it could also make a real difference.

* * *

Des Redwood

I thought it would get better as there were fewer of us left. Instead I got more scared every day. Each death raised the chances that the next one would be me. I was uncomfortably aware of everyone back home watching me, their hopes rising with each day. I didn't want to get them all to dare to finally dream just to die on the last day. I'd rather have died in the Bloodbath. After I was dead, it wouldn't matter to me when I died.

Dying wouldn't only affect me. There was my family and my brothers at home, praying they'd see me again and that their last sight wouldn't be me bleeding out on the rocks. Then there was Electra, who was so sure I could make it. She was gone now, but I still didn't want to let her down.

It had been so long since we entered the Arena. It seemed longer than most Games, but I hadn't paid close enough attention to be sure. When I watched them, they seemed like an action-packed melee. I'd known remotely that they were edited to be more exciting, but I never knew how much until now. The tapes didn't show us the hours and days of waiting around for animals to wander into traps or watching a dozen kids hide in empty logs. They didn't show the _bathroom habits_ of the Tributes, much to my relief. It barely registered how drawn out and exhausted the Tributes were by the end.

And I _was_ exhausted. The others must have been as well. I'd lived for a week on barely more than cactus leaves, aside from a hot dog. My mouth hurt and I'd lost three teeth. My hair was listless and everything seemed to take so much longer than it should. My back was constantly aching from the hard ground and I never woke up feeling refreshed. We were a mess. The final battle wouldn't be two brave warriors. It would be a couple of half-dead kids trying to lift their weapons.

* * *

Careen Ellis

None of the stills had more than a half-cup of water in them. I poured all the fluid together and after nearly twenty hours, I had a day's worth of water. I didn't have time to think of the others. It was full-time work staying alive.

Mags had said it would be like this. She mentioned a "survival threshold". Basically, in survival situations, everything condenses to bare essentials. Hygiene, manners, even morality and speech go out the window as all your energy is consumed by staying alive.

I didn't notice everything fading around me until I consciously thought about it. When I came into the Arena, I soaked in the amazing beauty of the spires and cliffs. Now, they were just rocks. The first night, I thought the sunset was so glorious I'd never forget it. I didn't notice the sunsets anymore except a vague realization that it wasn't hot anymore. I noticed that every night was a full moon, but only because that was so strange. I never thought about home anymore, or the final battle, or what I'd do if I won. All I thought about was my next drink or my next meal.

Food was harder to get than water. I would crouch above an uncovered still for hours, waiting for a lizard or mouse to come seeking a cool hiding spot or a drink. I was still as the stones as I watched the prey inching closer with agonizing slowness. Finally, when they were close enough, I'd snap my knife down and pin them to the dirt.

I was never full, just not starving. My entire day was occupied with gathering water and hunting food, and I never had any extra. I never conquered the Arena and lazed around enjoying my bounty. I scraped and slaved, and just barely, I met the survival threshold.

* * *

 **I added this deathless chapter because I tend to rush things. According to my search, the 74th Hunger Games took 18 days. Mine are way shorter than that and I wanted to be closer to canon. It's been longer than a week, and we're still not quite done. This time, I'm trying to emphasize the dragging length and monotony of the Games.**


	48. Ow

Careen Ellis

The rockslides seemed to be coming closer, like they were on a path. I tried to climb to the top of a cliff for a better view, but I was weary and climbing was never my strong suit. From what I managed to see, the slides were around the edges of the Arena, making a circle that was getting smaller.

I got it. They wanted us to fight. I was the Career, so it was my responsibility. I didn't want to leave my camp. I was getting by, but a large expenditure of energy would sap my reserves. If I went hunting and didn't finish the job quickly, I could go downhill fast. One night of ineffectual solar stills would be all it took to kill me. But then, I couldn't last forever out here either. I might be able to outlast the others, but I might not. Des was at her physical peak. Either of them could just get lucky, either with sponsors or an unexpected waterfall.

It was almost high noon before I found another Tribute. I stopped frequently to drink, and my supplies were almost gone. My breath was labored and I knew how dangerous it was to fight in such weather. We could get heatstroke before we even killed each other.

DeMarcus was big. I was a tall girl, as tall as most of the boys I knew, but he was taller. He was wide and strong, with the muscles that came from hard living, not hard training. He looked fit, even if his skin was shiny with sweat and his chest heaved as much as mine. Neither of us wanted to start the fight.

"We gonna do this or what?" he asked. The hot, dry air hung between us like a force field. I didn't want to answer.

"We both know we have to," I said. He put up his hands in a fighting stance as good as anything I'd seen in the Academy. Sunlight glistened off the brass knuckles he wore. That would make the sword my best hope, but I didn't trust myself to be strong enough to use it effectively. Twin daggers were the best backup.

I'd have to fight smarter. DeMarcus outweighed me with heavy muscle. If he got me down, he could keep me there. Skills raised a fighter's odds, but I still couldn't fight someone twice my size. DeMarcus wasn't that bad, but I needed to be careful. Nothing was certain.

* * *

DeMarcus King

I expected Careen to engage without a second thought. She was a Career. She was supposed to be the elite that took out scum like me before breakfast. I didn't expect her to be hesitant. She seemed almost nervous.

I was bigger than Careen, but that didn't mean much. She trained to kill. I only fought to remove a threat. I fought when I had to. She risked her life for a chance at battle.

Careen came at me first, but when I stepped forward, she retreated. She backed up onto a slope beside one of the cliffs. With her above me, it was harder to reach her, but when I tried to get beside her, she warded me off with both knives.

This wasn't a boxing match. There were no rules. It was clear I wouldn't get near her upper half, since it was guarded on both sides, so I changed targets. I stomped my foot into the side of her leg in a move that would have snapped the bone if she didn't fall. She let herself fall, as I'd expected, and I moved forward to capitalize on it. She lunged forward and stuck her knife into my calf. As I reared back, she pulled the knife out and scuttled backwards to her feet. She tried to stab me again in the chest but I dodged the strike and smashed my first into her face. Her head jolted sideways and the force of the blow knocked her down the slope in a landslide of dirt and pebbles.

I ran after her and lifted a foot to stomp her head. She turned face up and stuck her knife through the bottom of my shoe and into my foot, pushing me back as she rolled and leaped back up. I kicked her with my other foot as she did, and I felt the flesh compact. Her face was slack and blood was smeared across her mouth. I was surprised she was still on her feet.

My own feet were as unsteady as hers. One had a hole in it and the other was attached to a similarly holey leg. I'd been in enough fights to be able to push the pain away until it was over, but I knew it would slow me down. I aimed another punch at her throat and she sidled closer along my arm and stabbed me in the armpit. She pivoted around my back as I tried to grab her and wrapped both her legs around one of mine, tripping me up. She stabbed me above the kidney as I went down.

It wasn't deep enough to kill me. But I had to be more aggressive. She could pull back and wait for me to weaken, and that's what she did. She lurked like a shark as I tried to get closer. She dodged backwards at my advances and harried my arms with her knives when I was too slow in my strikes.

The heat was unbearable and I was slick with blood and sweat. I could barely breathe and I knew she was feeling it, too. I lurched to my knees to catch my breath and watched her spring. I seized her around the legs to pull her down and break her neck. Instead of falling back, she tensed her legs and bent at the waist. She sank both of the knives into my back, just under the neck. My arms went limp and I fell flat as something crunched.

I'd never fought someone like her before. There was no preparing for it. She had all the advantages and I had none. It was a credit to me that I could break her face and get her panting. She didn't have to be careful as she raised one knife over her head for a full-force blow. I'd fought more fights than I could count, but I couldn't win them all.

* * *

Careen Ellis

My face felt like I'd gone cliff diving and missed. My jaw was shattered. I couldn't move my mouth and I had to keep coughing in my throat so the blood wouldn't drown me. My teeth ground against each other. The area where DeMarcus kicked me felt like something had ruptured. If Des came across me now, she'd win the Games. Everything depended on how much time they gave me.

* * *

 **I always mess up the placings somewhere along the line because I can't tell my left from my right and have a hard time keeping numbers in order.**

 **3rd place: DeMarcus King**

 **You found me out. After Theo died, I felt like I had to keep DeMarcus awhile so it wouldn't be another all-girls endgames. In hindsight, a Career or Kerry would have been a better final male- Kerry might even have won. I liked DeMarcus a lot more than the readers. I could understand his brutal past and how he really just wanted to be a kid and have friends. I also thought he was strong enough to win both in character and capabilities, but I don't want my Victor to be someone almost no one wants because you spend time reading these and I'd hate to be a letdown. Thanks Jayman for DeMarcus. I liked him and I think your Tributes have been getting steadily more compelling.**

 **Also, DeMarcus never had a cold. His primary water supply was that puddle with a crusty white ring. Do not drink that if you see it in the wild. He was drinking alkaline water, the stuff that so often killed my poor emigrants in Oregon Trail. It weakened him and presented coldlike symptoms, which the syrup treated. All Badlands water is either filled with gross silt and dirt or straight up poisonous because of chemicals in the area.**


	49. Finale

**Since I usually give dying Tributes a short POV and seeing a short section might tip people off, I helpfully made ALL THE POVs SHORT so the rug could at any minute be ripped out.**

* * *

Des Redwood

I just wanted it to be over. I was tired. My bones hurt like I was a hundred years old. I wanted to lie down and never give up. I wanted to see anything other than orange rock. I wanted t take a bath. I wanted something green.

Someone sent me a hatchet. Between that any my gloves, I was prepared as I'd ever be. Surely Careen had everything she needed. She'd be armed and well-fed. She probably had a tent and a soft air mattress. She was on a safari and I was the prize.

I stopped waiting and started looking for her too. Live or die, we wouldn't be in limbo anymore. I hoped we wouldn't pass each other by, but they must have some way to make sure that doesn't happen. The Games never lasted longer than a month. We were almost halfway there.

* * *

Careen Ellis

I didn't want to cry. Crying wasted water I didn't have. But it hurt so much. Every time I wanted to drink I had to open my mouth with my hand and cradle it as the nerves ground against each other. I'd bound it as best as I could with a strip of fabric, but I was no surgeon. I was wrecked. If Des hit my face, it would probably kill me. If she didn't, the pain would incapacitate me.

I pinched the skin on my arm and watched it slowly slide back into place. I was deteriorating fast. I didn't want to run out and try to hunt Des down in a spree of energy that might be my last, but I couldn't afford to wait much longer. I'd thought about going back to the Cornucopia for the first aid kit and supplies, but it was so far I didn't know if it was worth the energy.

I didn't want to die here. Everything was hot and dry and hard. It wasn't like home, where the water went on forever. If I was there, I'd drink it until I burst, salty or not. I wanted to smell that salt in the air again and feel the mist on my face as I watched the waves. I wasn't sure any more that the glory and riches were worth all of this.

* * *

Des Redwood

There were little red and blue dots on my skin. My feet and hands tingled and my eye kept twitching. It hurt to use the restroom. I was falling apart.

I seemed disconnected from my body. When I took stock of myself, almost everything was in disarray, and yet I could keep moving. I'd been in pain so long it was normal, and I didn't notice it any more than I noticed my nose. I seemed to float as I walk, like there were two boards attached to my waist and a faint tingling came from feet I didn't have. It was weirdly surreal, like I was on morphling.

I'd be half-dead when I fought Careen, but maybe that would help. I was like a zombie, unable to feel pain and able to push past things that would make real people recoil. Everything was falling away, from thoughts of home to dreams of the future. There was only the fight ahead.

* * *

Careen Ellis

I couldn't hold back the tears when I got the package. What I wanted more than anything else in the world was a needle of morphling to shoot straight into my face. What I got was a sling to hold the bones together, and I shuddered with relief when I put it on. There was a tube of cream with it that I smeared all across my jaw. My face seemed to melt like I was at the dentist, and I'd never felt such rapture at simply not being in pain.

I didn't want to think about what I looked like or what shape my bones were in. I just had to survive one more fight, and it would all be over.

* * *

Des Redwood

The Arena was so barren of life I smelled Careen before I saw her. She smelled like the fattest, sweatiest lumberjack to go without showering for a month, and the scent of coppery blood added to it. I heard her footsteps after I smelled her, and last of all I saw her.

 _So that's what I look like._ I didn't expect Careen to look like I felt. Her face looked like her skull had been scrambled and the skin got put back on over the mess. One cheek puffed out grotesquely and she was slumped as she stood. I wasn't sure either of us could cross the distance to get to the other. I tried to stand straight and prepare myself.

* * *

Careen Ellis

I thought my eyes were going, or else I was hallucinating. Why would Desiree be wearing gloves? Dimly I registered that they were dangerous, like the hatchet she carried, and I made a note to steer clear of them. The green lines told me they might have something to do with electricity. I summoned the last of my fading brainpower to adjust my plans.

I backed up to the edge of a rocky slope and trained my eyes on Desiree. I cocked an arm back sharply with a knife in it. Desiree anticipated my intent. When I threw the knife, she dodged, but she didn't have to. It sailed over her shoulder and landed in the dirt behind her, raising a cloud of dust. She turned and darted after it to take and use against me. I never threw my knives in training. They weren't even throwing knives. But I had a reason.

* * *

Des Redwood

Careen was so tired she couldn't even throw her knives. Adrenaline rushed into me when I first saw her, and I had enough speed to dart after her fallen weapon. She'd still have her other knife and the sword strapped to her back, but one knife was better than two.

Something collided with the back of my head and I fell heavily. I dimly wondered what had happened. Careen couldn't have run behind me that fast even at full health, and her fist felt like it was hard as stone. I turned over and saw her running toward me.

* * *

Careen Ellis

I threw a rock at the back of her head. It was not my finest move as a Career. She flipped onto her back and saw I was about to lob another straight at her face. She beat me to it by whipping her hatchet up and at me in a daring all-or-nothing move. It hit me above the right hip and I staggered. Instead of pulling it out, I threw the rock. She was too close to dodge and it hit her just to the left of her nose. She cried out and her head smacked back into the puddle of blood leaking behind it.

I gripped my knife above my head with both hands and threw myself on top of her chest, the flesh in my hip tearing around the hatchet. My weight strengthened the blow and the blade cracked through her ribs and into her heart. I lay atop her, inches from her gloved hands, and neither of us moved. Neither of us _could_ move.

* * *

Des Redwood

It must have looked like we were embracing. Careen was slumped on top of me like an exhausted lover. I felt the movement of her breath as she pressed down on my chest. I could have killed her, or at least stunned her, if I could have only moved my hands six inches. I didn't have the energy for that. I was rapidly losing the energy to breathe.

It was meaningless to worry about letting anyone down. My family would love me no matter what, even if I died. I just wanted to leave the Arena.

I was so close to Careen I could see the specks in her eyes. They weren't orange. They were beautiful blue eyes. When I looked closer, I saw tiny green flecks. They were as green as the trees.

* * *

Careen Ellis

Des was stiff and hard under me. She was still as the grave, and there was nothing alive about her. But still the cannon didn't go off. If I'd had the energy and if my face wasn't smashed, I'd have laughed when I realized. We were so close they couldn't tell if she was dead. My body atop hers warmed her, and our hearts were so close her tracker registered my beats as hers. I thought about hauling myself off of her, but I was afraid my guts would come out of the hatchet wound.

It must have been fifteen minutes before the cannon sounded. I guess nobody alive goes fifteen minutes between blinks. I couldn't tell if the claw that cast a shadow over us was for me or her. It was going to be hard for it to get just one of us. I was too tired to care. I fainted before it got to us.

* * *

 **2nd place: Desiree Redwood- Stabbed by Careen**

 **I knew Des would last a long time. She was statuesque and ripped. I liked how she was jacked but she was also a normal, friendly girl. She's the kind of girl you'd be friends with and totally forget she could fold you like a clothespin. She and Electra would have dominated in an urban Arena, but she did great here too. Her muscle mass and fitness made her far better equipped to handle the Arena, even as she battled: scurvy, beriberi, dehydration, heat exhaustion, normal exhaustion, and a bladder infection caused by lack of cleaning materials. She didn't have a profound backstory or some supernatural motivation. She was a normal Tribute who did the best she could. Thanks Tinks for Des and I'm glad I didn't kill her or Electra in the Bloodbath.**

 **Victor: Careen Ellis**

 **Careen's form said she'd win, if she did, in a stylish finale using her two knives. She ended up winning in a fight between two lurching invalids with a face like a dropped pot. Nailed it. I loved Careen's love of beauty and how she made me want to know her more. What made me first think Careen could win was her relationship to her mentor. Her form specified it was Mags (the only Canon Four Victor at this point, but she could have taken Shelle), and I thought her skills with Mags' (in my stories) survival acumen could make a great combination. Careen won by adapting. She was smart enough to know she wasn't the strongest Career and to get out when she needed, and she was canny enough to know it's the survivor who wins, not the best fighter. She wasn't the favorite to win, but she pulled it out in the end. Congratulations to TranscendentElvenRanger. You've been around a while and I'm glad to add you to my list of Victors.**

 **AturtlenamedConnor just started an SYOT here** **s/12130919/1/81st-Hunger-Games-Neverland. I already submitted and you should too because I'm impatient, as you can see by my pace.**


	50. Coronation

Careen Ellis

I had so many tubes and wires in me it didn't seem possible to feel anything, but it still hurt. I was floating above the bed and I felt more comfortable than I had in years, but there was still a nagging pain radiating from my hip. I must have really gotten messed up in there.

Second time was the charm. I woke up feeling as good as new, and I knew from past Victors that I'd look as new as I felt. But it was hard to concentrate on that when I was so thirsty I wanted to rip the fluid bag hanging beside me off the hook and chug it. I was so thirsty it took me a split second to notice how much my mouth hurt.

When I put up my hand, my lower face felt firmer than normal. Something seemed to be stuck in my mouth, and when I tried to open it, it wouldn't go. I leaned over one side of the bed and peeked at the mirror on my nightstand.

There was no sign of the horrible swelling or the twisted mess my mouth had been, but when I pushed my lip up, I saw my jaw was wired shut. It was no surprise, seeing as I probably looked like an angler fish in the Arena.

 _And what do I look like now?_ I moved my gaze up to the rest of my face. The damage was light by Capitol standards. My hair was wavier, my skin was bronze enough I could barely see my freckles, my lashes were thicker, and my lips looked like I'd already applied a perfectly complementary coat of gloss. The only change to my body, aside from cleaning up the scars, was the inevitable chest enhancement.

I had half an hour to myself before Mags came in. She sat by my bed like it was just another day.

"Good job. You outlasted them all. And what's next?" she asked.

I pointed at the water bag pleadingly.

* * *

I met with Harlequin before the final interview and went through the questions with a team of Capitol techs. I couldn't open my mouth more than a crack, so I wrote down my answers and they recorded a synthesized version of my voice. Onstage, the lights and chairs were positioned so carefully the audience had no idea.

"And so another Career joins our ranks," Harlequin said. "But you weren't the favorite to win. It seems a lot of gamblers underestimated you."

"It's always best to have people underestimate you," the recording played while I moved my mouth as much as I could.

"Tell us truly. Was there ever a time you thought you wouldn't win?" Harlequin asked.

"I didn't think about it until the end. Anything can happen in the Games. Complacency is the fastest way to die," I said.

"All you Career hopefuls out there better listen close," Harlequin said. "But let's get to the fun part."

The screen lowered on the wall behind us, and the replay started. Everything progressed at a normal pace, but then something awful happened. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the quiet boy from Six smash in Kerry's head and shove his face into the remains. If I hadn't been a Career, I might have choked on my own vomit watching each lovingly enhanced moment of each of Titus' exploits. It was even worse than the segment on Valerie's death, which was mercifully brief.

There was a moment of stunned and revolted silence the instant after the replay ended. The Anthem played abruptly and I gladly shifted my attention to our new President, who was coming to give me my crown. I'd seen Snow before, of course, but he was different in person. He was younger than Galba- maybe forty years old- and he seemed to suck the warmth out of the air around him. I smelled him halfway across the room. He didn't stink, exactly, but he smelled like he'd bathed in rose perfume. I'd rather have smelled dirt.

"Congratulations," he said when he reached my chair. "Let this be the first of many."

The crown he held was a circlet as wide as three of my fingers. It was made entirely of stained glass, and it swirled with colors. A thin border of light blue bled into deeper blue and then bands of orange, red, purple, and indigo. It was beautiful, just like a sunset.

* * *

 **Next Games is the outlier All-Stars, so don't worry about reservations because I'll add as many Tributes as people request. I meant the Career and Non-Career All-Stars to be near each other, but they're so exhausting and complicated to write that I made a break Games. There's still a few cleanup chapters in this story though.**


	51. Initiation

After three days I got to upgrade to an extra half-inch of wire. It was the difference between sipping soup from a coffee stirrer and actually being able to eat flat or mushy food, so I was in heaven. It also meant I went from mumbley whispers to quiet speech and could actually talk to my mentor and the other Victors. Naturally, that meant it was party time.

"You didn't get to see anything in the Capitol aside from the Games building, did you?" Mags said as we waited for the rest of the Victors to gather in the lobby.

"Cities aren't really my thing anyway. I'll be glad to get home and see the sea again," I said.

"It's not all city. There's some pretty stuff around if you go far enough," Mags said. By then most of the Victors had arrived, and they started putting their two cents in.

"Yeah, you Fours like water, right? I got just the place," Hyden said.

Whatever the mysterious place was, getting there was half the fun. We took a train, and the scenery was lovely. I thought I'd be tired of rock after the Arena, but the mountains out the window were gray and snowy, not orange and dry.

We had to do a bit of hiking after we got to our stop, but it was worth it. I used to think lakes were barely a taste of water and only the ocean showed its true beauty, but I'd never seen a lake like that. I heard the waterfalls before I saw them, and I was amazed at how spectacular and ethereal they were. The white water fell into a teal pool as translucent as glass. I'd seen water that color before at twilight, but never so perfectly clear. I could see all the way to the rocks on the bottom.

"Like it?" Hyden asked.

"It's gorgeous," I said. He preened.

"They call it Hanging Lake. I like to come here because I am also gorgeous," he said.

"Can I swim in it?" I asked.

"I hope so. You're from Four," he said. He ran ahead of me, throwing off his shirt, and jumped in.

Luckily I'd worn a black undershirt. I dove in after him and splashed in the cool water as the others followed at their own pace. Some had gotten wind of Hyden's plan and wore swimsuits. Others wore their clothes or underclothes, like me and Ava. Others just whipped it all off and jumped in. At first I was stunned, but then I realized it made more sense than I thought. We'd all been stripped by our stylists at least once, and it probably happened every year when the Victors came back to gather for a new Games. Nudity was certainly no big deal in the Capitol, and it rubbed off eventually. Also, most of the exhibitionists were Careers like Pray, Azure, and Peridot. Careers were a proud lot, and they had nothing to be self-conscious about. Then there was Toby and Lena, who probably couldn't tell the difference. After a few minutes, I didn't notice it either. But I _was_ glad Aiden had gone skinny dipping once on a dare from me, so this wasn't my first experience with naked men.

It felt amazing to be in water again. I'd missed the weightlessness that felt like I was flying in another world. The water washed over me like an embrace and I slid my fingers through it just to feel it push back on me. I stood under the falls and let them pound against my back and soak my hair to my head. I floated on my back and let the motion of the falls drift me to the center of the lake. I stared at the sky and wondered how air and water could be such lovely and different shades of blue. I slid under the water and traversed the lake in a single breath, turning up to watch the light dance on the surface.

The other Victors splashed around in various activities. Mags, Jonah and Shelle, my compatriots from Four, swam around like a school of fish. Bambi and Nubu were less confident, and they stuck close to Mags as she taught them how to swim. Toby preferred to stay on the shore and poke at the surface with Lena, watching the circles radiate out from their fingers. Azure ducked Pray and started a war that nearly emptied the lake. Hyden and I weren't exactly vigilant in checking the depth of the water before we cliff-dived over the falls, but no one was killed, so no big deal.

"So what made you want to volunteer?" Peridot asked as I wallowed in the shallows.

"I dunno. I could bring honor and glory to Four," I said.

"Bull. What's the _real_ reason? I joined to see if I could win," she said.

"I just like killing people," Hyden said. "But only when it's okay," he added hastily when the outliers stared at him and started moving away.

"I wanted a challenge," I admitted. "I wanted to see what I was made of."

"Did you?" Mags asked.

"I got more than I ever bargained for. I only wish all the others had been like me. It would have been more challenging if we were all trained, like for you," I said, looking at Ava.

"Any regrets? It's okay if you do. Most of us do," Mags said.

"I'm sorry about Diggory. But I didn't kill him," I said. She was probably talking about the ones I did kill. I didn't regret that. I wished the outlying Tributes didn't get caught up in this, but if I hadn't killed them they still would have died. It would be smart of them to start training so they'd only lose volunteers and not little kids. That would make the Games better for everyone.

"I guess I should be traumatized and feel damaged, but I really don't," I said. "I'm going to be thirsty for weeks and I never want to get punched in the face again, but I feel like I made it. I went through the worst anyone in Panem can, and I'm ready to go back home and relax. I'm tired of violence and ugliness. I'm ready to see something pretty." And the only thing prettier than the lake around me was the sea.

* * *

 **TranscendentElvenRanger: If you have any particular epilogue in mind for Careen I can add it in the upcoming final chapter. Otherwise I'll put together a normal epilogue and then it's All-Stars time.**

 **The Victors all stick together in my universe, but it makes sense that Careers bond more closely with other Careers. Then there's Pray, who everyone is still scared of except Ava.**

 **The gang is at Hanging Lake in Colorado, since the Wiki said the Capitol is in the Rockies. That's why the picture doesn't match the Arena.**


	52. Epitaphs I missed

Acee Hal POV

Electra was a wasted opportunity. _She_ wasn't the disappointment. She was smart and resourceful and a lovely girl. It was her parents I was disappointed by. They could have nurtured her and grown her into a confident, indispensable citizen of Three. Instead they cut her down until her body couldn't support the mind within. I didn't know what DeMarcus' family was like, but someone failed him as well. I could see how much he wanted to be liked and to be part of a group. Someone as strong as him could have been a gang kingpin, but he only fought to protect himself. He didn't fit in among the eggheads of Three, but if they'd broadened their definition of intelligence, they could have found themselves a lifelong friend.

* * *

District Three

Mrs. Magneta was barely affected, of course. She shrugged her shoulders and said she'd always known her daughter was useless. Synthi was the one that felt Electra's loss, but she got lucky in the end. Some parents switched targets when their abused child died or grew up. Mrs. Magneta just continued her careless neglect with Synthi.

The Kings didn't know what to do with Demarcus' things at first. He didn't have any friends to give them away to. The empty room tormented them until they decided to fill it up. They took in a boy much too young to join the gang he kept petitioning. It was a dream come true for him and though things didn't always go smoothly, he loved his new family and adored the brother he never got to know.

* * *

Sequoia Wilson

Second was the nightmare of every mentor. At that point it's impossible not to hope. I could understand how some mentors preferred to exit the scene through alcohol or morphling if their Tribute got into the top five. It was easier when they died in the Bloodbath, like Ash. Even if he'd won, the Capitol would have beaten the rebellion out of him. This way he reminded everyone it would always remain.

Worst of all was the pure luck. It could have been Des. One more day in the area, a hatchet wound one inch deeper. It could have gone either way. The Capitol decided life and death on the toss of a coin.

* * *

District Seven

We all knew Ash would end up that way sooner or later. He'd have preferred that over public hanging with a hood covering up his defiant last words. As for the Redwoods, they faced it with quiet dignity and sad humor. When Careen came through on her Victory tour, Malthus gave her a hug. He thanked her for not letting a guy kill his sister and said at least her last sight was one more beautiful girl.

* * *

 **I think that's all I missed. If there's more I'll add them.**


	53. Epilogue

Careen Ellis

There were so many reasons to marry Aiden. The first was that I loved him. Especially after the Arena, I never wanted to lose him. He deserved a better life than working night and day on his boat, and I was glad to be the rich princess to his Cinderella. And then there was the hidden underbelly of the Victor world, which I'd avoid if I was married.

We married on the beach at sunset. It was already perfect, so decorations weren't necessary. Aiden and I gathered wildflowers to line the walkway and arch and I wore a gauzy chiffon dress lined with pearls as blue as the water behind us. We didn't want everyone in the Capitol inviting themselves along, so we planned the whole thing practically overnight and kept the numbers down. Some of my friends from my trips to the Academy came, and most of the Victors. And my family, of course. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect or romantic first kiss.

Naturally, the Victor's Village in Four is on an private island, with access to the sea on all sides. It has a private beach and cliffs perfect for more adventurous divers. I thought Aiden might be too proud to quit his job and live in luxury with me, but that wasn't a problem. I bought us a beautiful glass-bottomed sailboat for our trips to the mainland or our midnight pleasure cruises.

It was strange having no challenges for once. Sometimes I made new ones up, like diving contests with Mags or a project to introduce more wilderness survival classes into the Academy. The staff there wasn't into it. Partly they were mad at me for winning even though I didn't attend classes every day, and partly they were too proud to admit survival was important in a deathmatch.

Sometimes I was just happy to sit on the beach and practice my talent. I'd already gotten good at scrimshaw before I left. Volunteers often prepared their talents in advance. We tended to be a confident lot. My first collection was twenty-four pieces featuring each of the Tributes in my Games. I carved them as they were in the Games Center, before we all changed in the Arena. After seeing the replay, I was better able to capture their essences. I carved Diggory with his escort, and Theo's showed him petting a dog. There were insane bidding wars when they went up for sale. To no one's surprise, Titus netted the most money. I gave my portion to a children's hospital. Even if I wasn't rich, I didn't want to get rich _that_ way.

Aiden and I definitely weren't going to start a family right away, since I was only eighteen, but I wasn't sure about the future. I wasn't scared my children would get Reaped so much as I was scared they'd be just like me. A reckless little girl itching to go into the Arena could have ended so much worse. I was ready to be done with the Games. Some Careers, like Estrella, only seem happy for the few weeks every year they get to be part of it all again. I was glad I got to undertake the ultimate challenge and come home victorious, but once was enough. I'd done enough fighting, lost enough friends, and definitely seen enough rock. It was enough for me to lie on the beach with Aiden and watch the tide roll in.

* * *

 _ **The Capitol Tattler**_

 _Scandal in Four: Careen's Secret Ceremony_

All the Capitol is in an uproar over recent Victor Careen Ellis' runaway wedding. We expect that after all we've given the Victors, they'll let us handle the parties or at least consult us for our expertise. Sources in Four only became aware of the nature of Ms. Ellis' party after the ceremonies were over. Other than a few hastily snapped images of the afterparty, we have no record of the young Victor's day in white. If Careen wasn't Panem's sweetheart, the penalties may have been harsher than a round of gossip and strong disapproval. Sources in Four are working to gain a quote from Careen and we hope she will consent to at least model the dress for a photoshoot and widespread sale.

I hope I don't seem overly harsh. I _do_ love a wedding. I just love them better when I'm invited.

 _Roving Capitol Reporter Felicia Trice_

* * *

 **And so ends another SYOT. I've only had three Career Victors, so that's a nice addition. Also Careen's just nice. She's probably the least affected of all my Victors so far, so that's nice for her. It's not often a Happily Ever After happens in a Hunger Games story.**

 **I'll get the All-Stars starter page up straight away. Go ahead and send in submissions whenever. If you've never submitted before and still want to participate, you can send in an original character.**


End file.
